by Sean Murphy
Wednesday, May 08, 2024After a brief hiatus in 2023, I'll be back covering the WNBA extensively this season. The regular season tips off on May 14th with Caitlin Clark making her much-awaited debut with the Indiana Fever. It promises to be one of the most intriguing WNBA campaigns to date, noting that the teams will take a break for the Olympics from July 18th to August 14th.
Here's a look at a number of rule differences between the WNBA and NBA, for those not familiar with the women's game.
Game Duration: WNBA games consist of four quarters, each lasting 10 minutes, while NBA games have four quarters of 12 minutes each.
Ball Size: The WNBA uses a slightly smaller basketball compared to the NBA. The circumference of the WNBA ball is 28.5 inches, while the NBA ball has a circumference of 29.5 inches.
Three-Point Line Distance: The distance of the three-point line in the WNBA is shorter than in the NBA. In the WNBA, the three-point line is approximately 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.75 meters) at the top of the key and 21 feet 8.25 inches (6.6 meters) in the corners, while in the NBA, it's 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 meters) at the top of the key and 22 feet (6.7 meters) in the corners.
Here's a look at a number of rule differences between the WNBA and NBA, for those not familiar with the women's game.
Game Duration: WNBA games consist of four quarters, each lasting 10 minutes, while NBA games have four quarters of 12 minutes each.
Ball Size: The WNBA uses a slightly smaller basketball compared to the NBA. The circumference of the WNBA ball is 28.5 inches, while the NBA ball has a circumference of 29.5 inches.
Three-Point Line Distance: The distance of the three-point line in the WNBA is shorter than in the NBA. In the WNBA, the three-point line is approximately 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.75 meters) at the top of the key and 21 feet 8.25 inches (6.6 meters) in the corners, while in the NBA, it's 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 meters) at the top of the key and 22 feet (6.7 meters) in the corners.
Shot Clock: The WNBA uses a 24-second shot clock, the same as the NBA, but in the WNBA, the shot clock resets to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound, while in the NBA, it resets to 14 seconds only if the offensive team gains possession of the ball after a missed shot.
Foul Limit: Players in the WNBA are allowed six personal fouls before fouling out of the game, while in the NBA, players are allowed only six personal fouls.
Restricted Area: The restricted area, also known as the "charge circle," is slightly smaller in the WNBA compared to the NBA. In the WNBA, it has a 4-foot radius from the center of the basket, while in the NBA, it has a 4-foot radius from the center of the basket.
Technical Fouls: Technical fouls in the WNBA result in one free throw for the opposing team, while in the NBA, they result in one free throw and possession of the ball.
Timeouts: WNBA teams have four timeouts per game (three 30-second timeouts and one 60-second timeout), while NBA teams have six timeouts per game (four 75-second and two 20-second timeouts).
