Three-point line discrepancy at women's tourney went undiscovered

A general view of chairs courtside. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Three-point line discrepancy at women's Portland Regional went undiscovered for days

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 3/31/24

The NCAA is in a bit of hot water after someone discovered that the three-point lines at the Portland Regional weren't identical. Worse yet, the discrepancy went unnoticed for days, meaning an unbalanced floor hosted four Sweet 16 games.

On Sunday, the NCAA acknowledged the issue in a statement.

"The NCAA was notified today that the three-point lines on the court at Moda Center in Portland are not the same distance," the statement read via Grace Raynor of The Athletic. "The two head coaches were made aware of the discrepancy and elected to play a complete game on the court as is, rather than correcting the court and delaying the game. The court will be corrected before tomorrow's game in Portland."

The distance between the top of the baseline and three-point line in Portland for the Women's Elite Eight is not equal on each side

NC State and Texas agreed to play through it after NCAA officials measured the court. pic.twitter.com/RtHyTfXH2z
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 31, 2024

While NC State and Texas opted to play on the court, the NCAA confirmed that the lines would be fixed before Monday's contest between UConn and USC.

The issue didn't play a significant role on Sunday. Texas started the first half shooting on the side with a shorter three-point line but trailed NC State by 12 at the break, ultimately falling 76-66. Meanwhile, the distance difference didn't seem to bother Aziaha James, who hit a career-high seven threes for the Wolfpack, including five makes from beyond the longer arc.

However, whether or not the three-point line difference impacted the NC State/Texas matchup isn't the issue. Eight teams unknowingly played meaningful games on a court that wasn't up to snuff. Sure, both teams split time shooting on each side of the court, but it doesn't excuse the inexcusable. Simply enough, a venue like the women's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight should be above these errors.

The NCAA is ultimately to blame, but Connor Sports, the contractor in charge of manufacturing courts for both the men's and women's tournaments, will undoubtedly have some explaining to do. According to Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports, the company inspects courts before they're shipped, but evidently, a mistake slipped through the cracks.

The NCAA has addressed the problem. However, the incident raises questions about whether court lines are measured for accuracy once assembled and if there are potential discrepancies at other host sites.

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