Fifteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

In various professional sports, teams often face circadian disruption or misalignment due to transmeridian travel. Numerous studies across different sports have shown that circadian disruption due to travel and jet lag can hinder athletic performance. However, the majority of previous investigations have focused these analyses within men’s professional sports, and in general, there is a lack of research that has been conducted in context of women’s sport from various perspectives. The current study investigated the impact of travel on game outcomes for visiting teams in an understudied sports context, that being the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). We examined performance across four seasons following the introduction of the Las Vegas Aces to the league in 2018. Data from 815 games were analyzed using mixed-effects binomial logistic regression accounting for the season, as well as the home and visiting team’s winning percentage. Results revealed no clear effect of the difference in time zones between the home and visiting teams on game outcomes. However, follow-up contrasts showed that visiting teams won fewer than 50.00% of their games when traveling 1 and 3 time zones westward, within the same time zone, and 2 and 3 time zones eastward. The current study identifies specific instances where athletic performance may be attenuated due to circadian disruption. WNBA teams can consider these findings as they develop travel schedules, training sessions, recovery plans, and game approaches.