Tutorial · 8 min · endpoints verified 2026-09-22

How to build a WNBA team-form tool

Follow canonical team IDs into recent results and head-to-head context. This guide uses only the routes currently supported for WNBA; it never fills a gap with NBA data.

API coverage and endpoint overview: Explore the WNBA API

Why this is hard

The data contract behind a WNBA team-form tool

Without a WNBA standings adapter, a team product should present recent evidence rather than manufacture a league rank from an incomplete slice.

  • Team form is not a standings table.
  • Head-to-head context begins at Solo and should remain visually distinct from current form.
  • Preserve canonical match and team IDs instead of joining on display names.
  • Show source timestamps and a useful empty state when a query returns no rows.

Path 1 · recommended

Have your AI agent build it

Use MCP for discovery, then make the workflow-specific REST request when the MCP tool set does not expose that enrichment.

1. Connect the MCP server

Add the server in your MCP client and sign in with your Big Balls account. Your client registers itself and handles the token exchange — there is no key to copy.

MCP client configjson
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bigballs-sports-data": {
      "url": "https://mcp.bigballsdata.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

2. Tools your agent gets

  • get_matches

    Live, upcoming or historical matches for a sport or league.

  • get_coverage

    Machine-readable map of what we hold and what we do not.

3. Ask for what you want

Paste this at your agent. It is written to make the model check coverage before it designs anything, which is what stops it inventing a field we do not serve.

Prompttext
Build a WNBA team-form tool. Start with get_coverage for basketball, then get_matches with league=wnba. Preserve canonical IDs and timestamps. Use only WNBA capabilities documented by Big Balls Sports Data. If a field is unavailable, show that state and do not substitute an NBA value.

What the agent cannot reach

The MCP server does not expose every REST route used below. It also cannot make an unsupported WNBA field appear, so keep the REST capability boundary visible in the final interface.

Path 2 · hand-coded

Build it yourself

The sequence below starts from a league-filtered collection, follows a returned ID, and shapes only fields the response actually carries.

  1. 01

    List the WNBA population

    Begin with an explicit sport and league filter. Check HTTP status before interpreting an empty data array.

    League-scoped requestbash
    curl -s "https://api.bigballsdata.com/v1/matches?sport=basketball&league=wnba&limit=20" \
+  -H "x-api-key: $BBS_API_KEY"
  2. 02

    Follow the canonical identifier

    Take the ID from the list response and request the exact workflow-specific resource. Never manufacture an ID from a team name.

    Workflow detail requestbash
    curl -s "https://api.bigballsdata.com/v1/teams/$TEAM_ID/form" \
+  -H "x-api-key: $BBS_API_KEY"
  3. 03

    Create the product view model

    Transform the served fields without inferring unavailable metrics. The example keeps null and empty states explicit.

    Honest view modeltypescript
    const form = results.map((game) => ({
  opponent: game.opponent?.name ?? 'Unknown',
  result: game.result,
  playedAt: game.kickoff_utc,
}));

Reference

Every endpoint this tutorial uses

All on the gateway at api.bigballsdata.com. Verified against production on 2026-09-22.

MethodPathReturnsWhy you need itPlan
GET/v1/matches?sport=basketball&league=wnbaLeague-scoped games, teams, status and scoresDefines the exact game population and supplies canonical identifiers.Free
GET/v1/teams/:id/formRecent results for one WNBA teamBuilds the form strip.Free
GET/v1/teams/:id/h2h-intelligenceLoaded meetings against one opponentAdds opponent-specific history without calling it standings.Solo

Pricing, honestly

Form is Free; head-to-head starts at Solo

A complete form strip is possible on Free. Solo adds the deeper two-team history.

Free key

jsonjson
Recent results for one team.

Solo

jsonjson
Solo adds opponent-specific historical context.
  • Cache completed games instead of polling immutable rows.
  • Treat plan_required as a product boundary, not a retryable outage.
  • Keep the WNBA capability set separate from NBA.
See the full plan ladder →

More tutorials

Other build guides

Known gaps

What this workflow deliberately leaves out

A useful first version is narrower than a misleading one. Add another panel only when its league-specific route and fields are verified.

  • Team form is not a standings table.
  • Head-to-head context begins at Solo and should remain visually distinct from current form.

Questions

Can I replace missing WNBA fields with NBA data?
No. The schemas may be related, but the identities, competitions, and capability depth are not interchangeable.
What should the UI do with an empty response?
Check the status and error envelope, then show a dated empty state. Never turn a failed read into a factual zero.
Where do the plan labels come from?
The route floors come from the endpoint-plan registry used by the product and its checks. A sport-specific floor can override the shared route floor.

Related APIs

Other APIs you can build with:

WNBA APIBasketball API — Every League, One SchemaNCAA Basketball APINBA API — Live Scores, Box Scores & Props

Also on this sport

NBA Player Props APIInjury Data API for Developers: Free

Stats reference

NBA Player Stats APINBA Player Props API

Ship a WNBA team-form tool

Start with the supported WNBA workflow, preserve its evidence, and add depth only when the league really serves it.