There can’t be too many basketball players or fans across the world who haven’t heard of the NBA. After all, the National Basketball Association is arguably the greatest and most respected platform on the planet for any athlete looking to pave a name for himself in the world of basketball.
It is easy to say himself since the NBA only caters to men. Women are not given a chance to play alongside men in this league. Instead, they have a whole league for themselves called the WNBA. There, they can display their talent and skill against their fellow women and prove to be the best athletes of their gender. Although the WNBA is quite new when compared to the NBA, it has been gaining quite a lot of attention in recent times.
With that being said, basketball fans should certainly want to know the differences between the rules of both leagues. Since the majority of women are smaller when compared to men, knowing if there are any advantages that cater to their frame in the WNBA is essential. Let us take a closer look and find out.
Is the WNBA three-point line shorter than the NBA three-point line?
The WNBA has also been subject to a lot of criticism and mockery by NBA fans. Several people think that the difference in athleticism and abilities compared to the NBA simply makes the WNBA not worth watching. After all, it is exceptionally rare to see a dunk in the WNBA. On the other hand, it occurs on every other possession in the fast-paced NBA world.
Many prominent personalities have suggested that the WNBA lower its rims in order to make it easier for women to dunk, this suggestion has been dismissed since WNBA players and officials claim that a different height for the rim would change the very way they shoot or play the game of basketball. However, they ended up conceding and accepting that the WNBA three-point line be slightly shorter when compared to the NBA’s three-point line.
Although the exact numbers have differed over time, the NBA three-point line is estimated to be around 23 feet and 9 inches away from the rim. On the other hand, the WNBA three-point line is around 22 feet and 2 inches away from the rim.
This difference certainly makes it slightly easier for WNBA players to shoot from a distance without as much physical strength when compared to NBA players.