The three-point lines at the women’s NCAA tournament were different distances on the same court in Portland. How does that happen?
As No. 3 seed NC State and No. 1 seed Texas prepared to play an Elite Eight game in the 2024 women’s NCAA tournament, coaches noticed the three-point lines were uneven on opposite ends of the court. The lines were measured prior to tip-off, and it was confirmed the distances were different. The teams agreed to play the game anyway to avoid a delay.
NC State beat Texas, 76-66, to reach the Final Four for the second time in program history. The Wolfpack are in the Final Four in both the men’s and women’s tournament. The uneven three-point lines didn’t impact NC State guard Aziaha James, who drained 7-of-9 shots from behind the arc in the win.
It’s unbelievable that two Sweet 16 games were played on this floor without anyone noticing the discrepancy in three-point line distance. UConn and USC will also play an Elite Eight matchup in Portland on Monday night. ESPN’s pre-game broadcast showed the three-point lines being measured and the coaches discussing what they should do. Watch it here:
The three-point line in women’s college basketball is supposed to be 22-feet, 1 3/4 inches. Maybe the NCAA should double-check that before they try to host another NCAA tournament.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer seemed more befuddled than angry after the game. “I have a lot of colleagues that would say ‘only in women’s basketball.’”
Asked Vic Schaefer about how disappointing it was to have to spend half his press conference talking about the three point line:
“Well I hate to say this, but I have a lot of colleagues that would say only in women’s basketball. It’s a shame really that it even happened, but it… pic.twitter.com/79AL9izKQM
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) March 31, 2024
It’s shocking that no one seemed to notice the difference in three-point lines earlier. Here are some screen shots from UConn’s Sweet 16 game against Duke on the same floor two days earlier. While it’s not a huge difference, it can still be seen by the naked eye.
The action on the court during the women’s tournament has been thrilling, but there have been several embarrassing mistakes from the NCAA on administrative matters. During the first round of the women’s tournament, a ref was disqualified at halftime for a conflict of interest because they attended the school they were officiating. There was also the absurd Hannah Hidalgo controversy when the officials made her remove her nose ring mid-game, causing her to miss valuable minutes of game-time in Notre Dame’s loss.
Women’s basketball deserves better. Hopefully these errors serve as a wake-up call for future tournaments.
