If you’re new, hello hi and welcome. This series is all about looking at the top-5 players in total OBV (On Ball Value) per 90 at every position from the 2023 NWSL season – and we’re getting very close to the end. In short, OBV is a measurement that takes data from passes, shots, dribbles & carries, and defensive actions to measure a player’s impact on increasing the likelihood of their team scoring a goal, or conceding one.

So far we’ve looked at the top-5 goalkeepers, center backs, right backs, left backs, defensive midfielders, center midfielders, central attacking midfielders and left wingers, and now it’s time for right wingers.

It was quite fun to see all the different ways in which players at this position can have massive impacts for their teams. From the expected dribbly dribblers, but to the maybe less than expected profiles, there was a lot of variety in this top-5.

Let’s get to it then.

Pass .04 | Dribble & Carry .05 | Defensive Action .03 | Shot .08

There’s a reason why Latsko became extremely important to the Reign last season. Solid. Dependable. And sometimes that’s enough. (Also fun fact Latkso led all right wingers [min. 900 minutes] in fouls drawn per 90, with 1.91. She truly is the perfect forward for HarveyBall.)

While nothing super stands out, Latsko’s Shot OBV is her highest number, and {spoiler alert} the highest among this top 5. That’s primarily because she was super efficient with her shots, dropping 3.08xG and 6 goals from just 24 shots.

Also shoutout to that hilarious shot halfway off the graphic. Every time a player scores a .01xG chance forest animals sing, the sun smiles, and the world becomes 3% better for at least ninety seconds.

Pass .22 | Dribble & Carry .12 | Defensive Action .02 | Shot -.06

This might not surprise you especially since Emslie has started 2024 ballin outta control, but her service into the box was bonkers last season.

True winger shit. Create space, zip the ball into the six-yard box, profit. Emslie racked up 3.73xG on 37 passes overall, and when filtered to just open play she hit 27 passes for 2.86 xG, four become assists and her xG per shot actually increased (.11).

She was also remarkably effective with the ball at her feet. Of all right wingers she was third with 1.24 successful dribbles – with 2.54 attempted – per 90 (min. 900 minutes).

Whether going 1v1 and or just dribbling the ball into dangerous areas, Emslie was supremely reliable. She carried the ball 479 times and only lost possession on 77 occasions, an 83.9% success rate.

Pass .03 | Dribble & Carry .28 | Defensive Action .02 | Shot -.02

Good lord, lmao. I everyone we knew this, but still, it’s hilarious to see how starkly the numbers point it out.

Remember Emslies 479 carries? Well Kerolin had 791 lol. And only 156 were unsuccessful, which put her at an 80.3% success rate.

Obviously Kerolin was far more central to her team than pretty much any player, and North Carolina weren’t the same without her – no one would be. But to me, while the stats are fun and gaudy to look at, Kerolin is one of those players that really transcends numbers.

Her game is about unpredictability and entertainment, and that she can pull that off and still stand out in the numbers is the kind of marriage between nerd and the guy on the right in this meme. Give me wonder, give me awe; get well soon, Kerolin.

Pass .04 | Dribble & Carry .21 | Defensive Action .04 | Shot .02

Madame. President. Midge. Mf’n. PURCE.

Sadly Midge is another absolute baller on this list that we lost to an ACL injury. I went on my rant about this with the left wingers before talking about Jun Endo, so copy/paste cause it’s still all true and just as painful.

I’m additionally sad for Midge because she’s been cuttin up in the league since 2017 and people nationally, and even globally, were finally starting to realize how fun she is on the ball.

In 2023, Midge attempted 4.07 dribbles per 90, so right from kickoff defenders know she’s going to be relentless in her pursuit of putting them on skates. And for 2.36 of those times she was successful, and skates were applied. Purce also led all right wingers in carry length, averaging 8.56m per carry (9.4 yards).

Unfortunately she didn’t have the kind of volume of carries Kerolin had, and even Emslie racked up 143 more carries than Purce. Despite the low numbers though, Midge still managed to put up a respectable key passes map. Squeezing three assists out of 21 key passes and a combined xG of 2.16 from open play.

Pass .08 | Dribble & Carry .12 | Defensive Action .15 | Shot .07

Heavens. This is a perfect example of why I wanted to do this. We all knew Sugita was good, and we’ve all been clamoring for Mike Norris to put her in the starting XI. But her defensive effort being her highest number is something I did not expect.

Some of this is of course up to the Thorns’ style of play, but also Sugita is performed exceptionally well within it last year.

Sugita was third overall among right wingers with 11.81 aggressive actions (pressure events and fouls recorded within two seconds of an opposition ball receipt) per 90. Only Rachel Hill and Veronica Latsko were higher.

Sugita also led all in possession adjusted (PAdj) interceptions with 1.65, second with 3.96 pressure regains (times a player’s team won the ball back within five seconds of the player pressuring an opponent), and second with .49 counterpressure regains (times a player’s team won the ball back within 5 seconds of the player counterpressuring an opponent).

And we’re not done. Sugita had a 74% Tack/DP%, which is the percentage of times a player makes a tackle when going into a duel versus being dribbled past.

Sugita’s second highest number was her Dribble & Carry, and that’s because out of 518 carries she only lost possession 55 times, an 89.4% success rate. Bonkers.

Sugita’s game is super fun, and can go unnoticed at times. She works more as the engine of the attack rather than the player responsible for the final ball. It’s a perfect complement for attackers like Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver. Hina has just 19 key passes, three assists from 1.91xG.

But she was the absolute best among right wingers with .69xG Buildup, which excludes shots and assists to focus on the quality of buildup play. Truly one of my favorite profile of player.

Also, she used her ability to read and anticipate to ghost into the box and score all of her non-penalty goals centrally, and around or within the six-yard box.

#FreeHina.

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