The Relationship Between External Load and Player Performance in Elite Female 3 × 3 Basketball Games: A Markerless...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Performance Analysis

Background:

• Elite 3x3 basketball presents unique physical demands.
• Quantifying external game load is crucial for understanding player exertion.
• Previous research has not fully explored the link between load and performance in 3x3 basketball.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the external game load of elite 3x3 basketball players using a markerless motion capture system.
• To evaluate the association between external game load metrics and game performance indicators.
• To compare external load between high- and low-performing players.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 24 female 3x3 basketball games from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
• Utilized a markerless motion capture system for external load data collection (6 categories).
• Collected 22 technical statistics for performance evaluation; analyzed using repeated-measures correlation and mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• Correlations between external load and performance indicators were trivial to small (r = 0.16-0.24).
• Accelerations (ACC) showed the most associations with performance metrics (points, rebounds).
• No significant differences in external load were found between better- and worse-performing player groups.

Conclusions:

• External game load in elite 3x3 basketball reflects player involvement and effort, not a direct determinant of performance.
• Coaches and practitioners should consider a holistic approach to performance evaluation.
• External load data is more applicable for training regulation and fatigue monitoring in 3x3 basketball.