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August 14, 2025 10 mins

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Triple-doubles in the WNBA demonstrate impressive all-around performance but may be overvalued when it comes to determining player impact on winning championships. The history and evolution of this statistical achievement reveals interesting patterns about versatility in women's basketball while raising questions about how we evaluate player contributions.

• Triple-double defined as recording double digits in three statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks)
• Sherryl Swoopes recorded the first WNBA triple-double in 1999 with 14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists
• Skylar Diggins achieved the first All-Star game triple-double in just 23 minutes
• Caitlin Clark became the youngest player to record a triple-double during her rookie season
• Alyssa Thomas leads the WNBA in triple-doubles with 16-18 and counting
• The 2024-25 season potentially features the highest number of triple-doubles in WNBA history
• Position context matters when evaluating triple-doubles (guards getting rebounds vs. centers getting assists)
• Despite impressive triple-double statistics, players like Alyssa Thomas haven't necessarily won championships
• Statistical achievements should be celebrated but not overvalued compared to team success

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up everybody?
It's your favorite show'sfavorite show Get a Bucket.
I'm your host, trey, and asusual, I hope you're all having
a wonderful, wonderful day.
Now.
Today we're going to talk aboutthe WNBA Triple Doubles.
But before we do that, pleasemake sure to hit that like and
subscribe button, comment, tellanyone who's anyone about the
show, Try to get the ratings upa little bit.
You know just a little bit, but,like I said, we're going

(00:30):
doubles because, well, you mightbe wondering what is a triple
double?
If you've, if you pay attentionto the NBA, then you know,
because it's the same thing,same with basketball.
Any form of basketball is thesame thing.
If you have not a triple double.
Is this double digit points,rebounds and assists or three
double digits, or threecategories where you score
double digits in that category?
So it could be points, reboundsand steals, points, assists,
blocks, rebounds, assists,steals, any variation.

(00:53):
This has got to be three ofthem where you get double digits
in the stat line.
So that's what triple doublesare.
Now, the history of the WNBAtriple-doubles Well, we got to
start back around 1999.
That was the first one byCheryl Swoops, where she gave a

(01:13):
casual 14 points, 15 rebounds,10 assists, something slight
Against the Detroit Shock.
Not mad at you, mind you, I'mnot mad at you.
Gotta remember too.
Cheryl is also the same playerwho got the first triple-double
in the playoffs, and it wasversus the Storm.
She got 14 points again, 10rebounds and 10 assists.

(01:35):
Now Skylar Diggins is the firstplayer to get triple-double in
the All-Star game.
She got 11, 11, 15.
15 assists, meaning.
And that was also the shortestamount of time to what?
23 minutes, three quarters,like.
All right, cool, it's not bad.
Uh, we got kaylin clark as theyoungest player to record a

(01:58):
triple double.
She did it during her rookieseason.
She also was the only rookie torecord triple doubles multiple
times in her rookie year.
Okay, now keep in mind AngelReese, her rival, uh, is the
second youngest player to recorda triple double, I think at age
23, and some change, um.
And then Sabrina Inescu isthird at at 23.

(02:21):
Now I'd like to throw in there.
Sabrina Inescucu did getinjured and coming into WNBA,
she was called the triple-doublequeen in college, right?
So I do wonder how this listwould look if Sabrina did not
get injured that first year,right?
But it's okay, though.
Her rookie it's okay, it's okay.
It's okay Because she didrecord the quickest

(02:41):
triple-double in games played.
She got that in like six gamesOkay.
So again, she was hooping, somaybe she might have got a
couple more.
Her rookie season.
Let's figure it out Now.
Alyssa Thomas she has like themost triple-doubles in WNBA
history.
She's still playing in the WNBAcurrently and has a lot more to

(03:02):
give, and I think she has about16 to 18 in counting.
Like she just got three tripledoubles in a row First time
that's happened in WNBA history.
So I'm just saying we got a lotof instances where there's
triple doubles.
Okay, like again, like I said,kaitlyn Clark came in.

(03:25):
She gave one Kool-Aid righthere.
Where is she?
I just saw Sabrina in SQ.
All right, cool, she gotanother one.
There we go 23,.
Like I said, candice Parker'sup here a couple times you see
Alyssa Thomas up here, jesusChrist.
Courtney Williams, satu Sabli,natasha Howard Shout out, tosh,
you know what I'm saying.

(03:45):
Suge Sutton Another.
Courtney Williams, alaysiaClarendon you have a, a lot of
players up here that haverecorded a triple-double.
That's kind of interesting,dang.
Here's the crazy thing, thoughthis 2025 season ain't that bad
either.
Now again, we got Alyssa Thomas, ladies and gentlemen, who's

(04:08):
been doing her thing right.
Y'all see her.
She got four triple-doublesthis season, and counting too,
because that could be going up,believe it or not.
You got Skylar Diggins with one, unless you want to count the
All-Star game.
Then she got two of them things.
You know what I'm saying.
She got two of them thingsJackie Young with another one,
julie Allman off my spark,shout-out Julie.

(04:29):
And then Kaitlyn Clark.
It's crazy because Kaitlynactually has not been playing
that many games, so I wonder howmany more she would have
actually gotten had she played.
But again, ladies and gentlemen, she hooping Like we're getting
some triple doubles this season.
So this is what we're lookinglike for the 2025 season, which
I got to admit.
I got to look at the years tosee how this year would stack up

(04:52):
in comparison to the otherseasons, but I got to believe
this might be the highestrecorded triple-double season of
the WNBA.
I got to believe that.
Now I'm curious, though.
I'm curious if y'all believetriple-doubles are overrated,

(05:12):
because, ladies and gentlemen,when I look at the listings,
they're cool, but you know notthat many people have recorded a
triple double.
So do you need a triple doubleto win a championship?
Because that's what we'replaying for we're playing for
championships Again.
Alyssa Thomas, leading the WNBAin triple doubles, like.

(05:41):
When we click back over to thatpage, to that list, you see
Alyssa Thomas, alyssa Thomas,alyssa Thomas, alyssa Thomas,
Alyssa Thomas, alyssa Thomas,alyssa Thomas, like Alyssa
Thomas, alyssa Thomas, likethere was a bunch of Alyssa
Thomases there.
Ladies and gentlemen, she's agood hooper.
She's still top five for me inthe WNBA.
Unfortunately, she has notgotten that championship yet,
though.
So are they overrated?

(06:05):
Now, one that I did want to notewas Lisa Leslie.
She did receive a nice littletriple-double where she got 10
blocks.
That's not necessarilyoverrated.
That's you doing a lot ofdamage offensively and
defensively.
So if you getting those, I'mnot mad at you.

(06:28):
But when we're talking aboutscoring, rebounding and assists,
well I mean, let's think aboutthat, because do point guards
need to rebound?
Like, if my point guard gotthree rebounds opposed to 10
rebounds, what's the real bigdifference here?
You know what I'm saying?
Like, how is that reallyimpacting the game?

(06:49):
Because they still got theassists, they still got the
points.
What's the big reason for therebounds?
That's the reason why you havebigs, you know.
Now let's say, if a big got 10assists, I get that too.
Like the taller you are, themore damaged you should be.

(07:09):
So think of a Nikola Jokicright I get.
If they get 10 assists, itmatters more than if a guard
were to get 10 rebounds.
But at the same time you needto have your guards be able to
do something too.
So it would be nice if you havebalance amongst your team.
Having a triple-double it's niceto have, it's not needed.

(07:31):
When I think about the NBA,nicola Jokic, he's like what?
The only player to average atriple or record a triple-double
?
No, no, to average atriple-double and still win a
championship?
Like it's not necessary.
And again, he's a big.
A lot of the players listed werenot bigs.
I don't think, not to myknowledge.

(07:51):
Like Jackie Young's a forward,everybody here's a, everybody
here's a guard or a forward.
Best case, alyssa Thomas is theonly person who is considered a
big only.
So again, ladies and gentlemen,is a triple double overrated?

(08:12):
Might think so, because, again,alicia Thomas, no WNBA title.
Skylar Diggins same thing.
Jackie Young, she was on alittle dynasty squad.
Cool, julie and Kaylin tooyoung.
Is it needed?

(08:33):
And keep in mind Jackie Young'snot known for triple doubles,
she just gotten one.
Like that's the thing.
So again, ladies and gentlemen,when we think about what are we
actually here to do is to win.
So I do question are we puttingtoo much value in a triple

(08:53):
double by players?
But I mean, hey, maybe I'm justgetting old at this point and
maybe I'm off my rocker, becauseI'm not trying to take away
from a triple-double.
If you do get a triple-double,I'm not saying that's trash, I'm
not saying it's not important,I'm not saying it's not worth
noting, I'm saying a lot ofpeople are putting too much

(09:15):
stock into players getting atriple-double.
There's nothing wrong with 28points, 10 assists and three
rebounds.
There's nothing wrong with thatat all.
So don't think just becausethis player is averaging a
triple-double or their stat lineis better, that means that
they're a better player.
No, not necessarily.
Schemes and plots can factor intoo.

(09:37):
But again, ladies and gentlemen,I think we do overvalue the
triple-double just a little bit.
It's a good feat.
It's not needed, though.
But I mean that does concludethe end of the episode.
So I'm curious what y'all thinkabout the triple-double.
Do y'all think it's overvalued?
Then I mean, how many moretriple-doubles do y' you think
Alyssa Thompson is going to get?
Because I'm going to be honest,she could play for another

(09:58):
couple years like three-four,huh.
What if she keeps going at thispace or around this pace, or
keeps getting triple-doubles?
That's going to be crazy to see.
And then the young guns thatare coming into the league.
I know Pedro can gettriple-doubles at some point in
time.
So again, it's just we're goingto see more and more players
get triple-doubles, but again,are they overvalued?

(10:19):
I'm curious about your thoughts.
But, ladies and gentlemen, likeI said, that is the end of the
episode.
So definitely, please continueto watch the WNBA and also
continue to support the page.
You know what I'm saying, soplease make sure to like,
subscribe, comment, tell anyonewho's anyone about the show.
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get a Bucket.
I hope you all are having agood one.

(10:41):
Take care.
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