A three-point field goal (also known as a "three-pointer" or "3-pointer") is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two points awarded for shots made inside the three-point line. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) keeps records of the Division I 3-point field goal makes per game (3PG) average annual leaders. The statistic was first recognized in Division I women's basketball in the 1987–88 season, when the NCAA made the three-pointer a mandatory feature throughout women's basketball.[1] From the 1987–88 season through the 2007–08 men's season, the three-point perimeter was marked at 19 ft 9 in (6.02 m) for both men's and women's college basketball.[2][3] After the 2007–08 season, the NCAA moved the men's three-point line back to 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m), while the women's line remained the same.[2][3] The women's line would be moved back to match the men's line effective with the 2011–12 season.[3] On June 5, 2019, the NCAA men's rules committee voted to extend the men's three-point line to the FIBA distance of 6.75 meters (22 ft 2 in), effective in 2019–20 in Division I and 2020–21 in lower NCAA divisions. The women's line remained at 20 ft 9 in[4][3] until being moved to the FIBA arc in 2021–22.[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Caitlin_Clark_vs._Iowa_State.jpg/220px-Caitlin_Clark_vs._Iowa_State.jpg)
NCAA record books list single-season three-point record holders both on overall and per-game bases, but the official season leaders are based solely on per-game average. Caitlin Clark holds both records for single-season three-point scoring, making 201 threes and averaging 5.15 per game during her final season at Iowa in 2023–24.[6] Both records had previously been held by Taylor Pierce of Idaho, with 154 threes and an average of 4.53 per game in 2018–19.[1] Clark, who also led Division I in threes per game in 2022–23, is also the all-time leader in career threes, with 548 from 2020–21 to 2023–24. The player with the highest 3PG average over the span of her entire career (with a minimum of 150 made threes) is Alabama State's Lisa McMullen, who made 4.00 per game over two years.[1]
Key
edit3-point field goals per game
editSeason | Player | Pos. | Cl. | Team | Games played |
3-point field goals |
3PG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987–88 | Gwen Davis | G | Jr | Bethune–Cookman | 26 | 111 | 4.27 |
1988–89 | Marguerite Moran | G | Sr | Hofstra | 29 | 107 | 3.69 |
1989–90 | Sandi Bittler | G | Sr | Princeton | 22 | 89 | 4.05 |
1990–91 | Lisa McMullen | G | Jr | Alabama State | 28 | 126 | 4.5 |
1991–92 | Lynda Kukla | G | Sr | Valparaiso | 27 | 101 | 3.74 |
1992–93 | Suzie Dailer | G | So | St. Bonaventure | 27 | 99 | 3.67 |
1993–94 | Autumn Hollyfield | G | Jr | Cal State Fullerton | 27 | 110 | 4.07 |
1994–95 | Cornelia Gayden | G | Sr | LSU | 27 | 105 | 3.89 |
1995–96 | Tara Gunderson | G | Jr | Iowa State | 27 | 93 | 3.44 |
1996–97 | Brenna Doty | G | Sr | Buffalo | 28 | 98 | 3.5 |
1997–98 | Julie Krommenhoek | G | Sr | Utah | 27 | 98 | 3.63 |
1998–99 | Courtney Banghart | G | Jr | Dartmouth | 28 | 97 | 3.46 |
1999–00 | Shrieka Evans | G | Fr | Grambling | 30 | 120 | 4 |
2000–01 | Shrieka Evans (2) | G | So | Grambling | 29 | 111 | 3.83 |
2001–02 | Laurie Koehn | G | Fr | Kansas State | 34 | 122 | 3.59 |
2002–03 | Amy Waugh | G | Sr | Xavier | 30 | 107 | 3.57 |
2003–04 | Joy Gallagher | G | So | Wagner | 28 | 99 | 3.54 |
2004–05 | Jenny Conkle | G | Jr | Belmont | 28 | 87 | 3.11 |
2005–06 | Toni Kennedy | G | Sr | Maryland Eastern Shore | 29 | 100 | 3.45 |
2006–07 | Chelsey Warburton | G | Sr | Weber State | 31 | 103 | 3.32 |
2007–08 | Sade Logan | G | Jr | Robert Morris | 33 | 126 | 3.82 |
2008–09 | Kristi Dini | G | Sr | Boston University | 33 | 109 | 3.3 |
2009–10 | Chynna Bozeman | G | Jr | Montana State | 33 | 121 | 3.67 |
2010–11 | Katie Tull | G | So | Charleston | 30 | 107 | 3.57 |
2011–12 | Diana Choibekova | G | Jr | Winthrop | 31 | 121 | 3.9 |
2012–13 | Morgan Eye | G | So | Missouri | 32 | 112 | 3.5 |
2013–14 | Kyndal Clark | G | Jr | Drake | 32 | 116 | 3.63 |
2014–15 | Melissa Dixon | G | Sr | Iowa | 34 | 124 | 3.65 |
2015–16 | Kiyanna Black | G | Sr | Ohio | 33 | 126 | 3.82 |
2016–17 | Tori Jankoska | G | Sr | Michigan State | 33 | 122 | 3.70 |
2017–18 | Toshua Levitt | G | Jr | Texas State | 31 | 137 | 4.42 |
2018–19 | Taylor Pierce | G | Sr | Idaho | 34 | 154 | 4.53 |
2019–20 | Taylor Robertson | G | So | Oklahoma | 30 | 131 | 4.37 |
2020–21 | Sydney Wagner | G | Jr | William & Mary | 13[a] | 51[a] | 3.92 |
2021–22 | Taylor Robertson (2) | G | Sr | Oklahoma | 34 | 124 | 3.65 |
2022–23 | Caitlin Clark | G | Jr | Iowa | 38 | 140 | 3.68 |
2023–24 | Caitlin Clark (2) | G | Sr | Iowa | 39 | 201 | 5.15 |
Footnotes
edit- ^ a b Due to the effects of COVID-19 on teams' abilities to play full regular-season schedules, the NCAA allowed for a lower games played requirement to be the season 3FGM leader. Specifically, the NCAA used a threshold of 13 games played, which was the minimum number of regular-season contests required for a team to be eligible to play in the 2021 NCAA tournament.
References
edit- General
- "2020–21 NCAA Women's Basketball Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- Specific
- ^ a b c "2020–21 Division I Women's Basketball Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "2019–20 NCAA Men's Basketball Playing Rules History" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "2020–21 NCAA Women's Basketball Playing Rules History" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ "Men's basketball 3-point line extended to international distance" (Press release). NCAA. June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ "International 3-point line distance approved in women's basketball" (Press release). NCAA. June 3, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "Caitlin Clark". Sports Reference CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 11, 2024.