Is the WNBA 3-Point Line the Same as the NBA?
Contents
- The WNBA 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the hoop.
- The NBA 3-point line is 23 feet, 9 inches from the hoop.
- The WNBA line is shorter because the average height of a WNBA player is about five inches shorter than the average NBA player.
- The WNBA line was established in the league’s inaugural season in 1997.
- The NBA 3-point line was established in the 1979-80 season.
- The WNBA and NBA use different sized basketballs. The WNBA ball is smaller than the NBA ball.
- The WNBA uses a women’s size 6 ball, while the NBA uses a men’s size 7 ball.
The WNBA 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches. The NBA 3-point line is 22 feet in the corners and 23 feet, 9 inches at the top of the key.
The WNBA 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the hoop.
The WNBA 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the hoop, which is 8.5 feet shorter than the NBA 3-point line. The WNBA arc is also shallower, with a break of only 1 foot instead of the NBA’s 2-foot-9-inch arc.
The NBA 3-point line is 23 feet, 9 inches from the hoop.
The WNBA 3-point line is 22 feet, 1 ¾ inches from the hoop, which is 8 ½ inches closer to the basket than the NBA line. The rationale for the difference is that the women’s game is played with a smaller ball (28.5 inches in circumference vs. 29.5 inches for the men) and that the average height of a WNBA player is about 5 inches shorter than the average NBA player.
The WNBA line is shorter because the average height of a WNBA player is about five inches shorter than the average NBA player.
The WNBA three-point line is 22 feet in the corners and 23 feet, nine inches at the top of the key. The NBA three-point line is 22 feet in the corners and 24 feet, nine inches at the top of the key.
The WNBA line is shorter because the average height of a WNBA player is about five inches shorter than the average NBA player. The shorter line accounts for the fact that it’s harder for a shorter person to shoot from further away.
The WNBA made the move to a shorter three-point line before the 2019 season. In the 2018 season, WNBA teams shot 32.4 percent from three-point range. That number increased to 33.9 percent in 2019, and 34.6 percent in 2020.
The WNBA line was established in the league’s inaugural season in 1997.
The WNBA 3-point line distance is 20 feet, nine inches. That’s just one foot and nine inches shorter than the NBA line, which was moved back before the 2008-09 season to a uniform 22 feet all the way around the arc.
With that being said, the WNBA 3-point line is still pretty far out. In fact, it’s still the second-longest in all of professional basketball. Only the G League (formerly the NBA Developmental League) has a longer 3-point line. The G League’s 3-point line is 22 feet, 1.75 inches.
The additional foot and nine inch difference between the NBA and WNBA may not seem like much, but it actually makes quite a difference when it comes to shooting percentage.
In the 2017-18 season, NBA teams shot 34.5 percent from beyond the arc as a whole. In contrast, WNBA teams only shot 30 percent from deep last season. That 4.5 percent difference is significant, and it’s largely due to the additional distance players have to shoot from in the WNBA.
The NBA 3-point line was established in the 1979-80 season.
At that time, it was placed 23 feet, 9 inches away from the center of the hoop. This distance has remained constant throughout the years.
The WNBA 3-point line, on the other hand, was established in the league’s inaugural season in 1997. The WNBA 3-point line was initially set at a distance of 20 feet, 6 inches from the center of the hoop. This is 4 feet, 3 inches shorter than the NBA 3-point line.
In 2011, the WNBA 3-point line was moved back to match the NBA distance of 23 feet, 9 inches. So, currently, the WNBA and NBA 3-point lines are identical.
The WNBA and NBA use different sized basketballs. The WNBA ball is smaller than the NBA ball.
The WNBA has a slightly smaller ball, measuring 28.5 inches in circumference compared to the NBA’s 29.5 inches. Several other rule changes were put into place when the WNBA was founded in 1996 to create a game that would better suit the abilities of female players. These rule changes included widening the lane from 12 feet to 15 feet, and reducing the shot clock from 30 seconds to 24 seconds.
The WNBA uses a women’s size 6 ball, while the NBA uses a men’s size 7 ball.
The slightly smaller ball makes it harder for a woman to shoot from long range, so the WNBA’s three-point line is closer to the basket – 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the center of the hoop, compared to 23 feet, 9 inches in the NBA. The WNBA also has a restricted arc area close to the basket; if a player’s feet are inside this area, she can only score two points no matter how far away she is from the hoop.