Longtime UConn Huskies women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is heading to his 13th consecutive Final Four (the result of a controversial no-call late in Connecticut’s two-point victory over second-seeded Baylor Monday night) and there’s something he wants to get off his chest.
“I was so disappointed when they kept the line the way it is,” said the 11-time National Champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist, voicing his frustration that the women’s three-point line remains at 20 feet, nine inches, which is over a foot shorter than the men’s (22 feet, 1.75 inches). “Two lines on the floor. Please. Like another indication that, what, we're not capable?”
UConn junior Christyn Williams, who sank 34.3 percent of her shots from beyond the arc this season (47-for-137), agrees wholeheartedly. “I think we can do anything the guys can do,” the 5’11” guard told ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel.
With perimeter shooting becoming a more recognized part of the game as opposed to previous generations where post play reigned supreme, establishing some kind of consistency between the men’s and women’s three-point arcs wouldn’t be the worst idea. As it stands now, the men’s distance is the same barometer used in both the WNBA and international basketball, though the NBA applies a different standard (23 feet, nine inches from the hoop).
Auriemma is also in favor of widening the lane to improve the quality of play and make the women’s game more “free flowing.” It’s been a busy few weeks on the women’s college hoops front. When the tournament began last month, many players and coaches called attention to the comparatively lackluster facilities in San Antonio relative to the men’s accommodations in Indianapolis, which prompted an apology from the NCAA’s VP of women’s basketball Lynn Holzman. Another controversy arose earlier this week when Baylor coach Kim Mulkey encouraged the NCAA to scrap its COVID protocols for the Final Four.
Monday’s UConn/Baylor thriller on ESPN was the most-watched women’s college basketball game since 2011 and likely would have drawn even higher ratings if it hadn’t faced direct competition from the Men’s Elite Eight, which aired simultaneously on CBS. According to sponsorship analytics site Zoomph, UConn/Baylor received double the social media engagement of CBS’ two games that night (Oregon State/Houston and Baylor vs. Arkansas).
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