List of NCAA Division I women's basketball season 3-point field goal leaders explained

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 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, 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 6.75m (22.15feet), 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]

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

Pos.	G	F	C	3PG
				3-pointers per game

--	-	^	Player still competing in NCAA Division I -->
Player (X)	Denotes the number of times the player had been the 3-point leader up to and including that season

3-point field goals per game

Season	Player	Pos.	Team	Games played	3-point field goals
1987–88		G	Bethune–Cookman	26	111
1988–89		G	Hofstra	29	107
1989–90		G	Princeton	22	89
1990–91		G	Alabama State	28	126
1991–92		G	Valparaiso	27	101
1992–93		G		27	99
1993–94		G	Cal State Fullerton	27	110
1994–95		G	LSU	27	105
1995–96		G	Iowa State	27	93
1996–97		G	Buffalo	28	98
1997–98		G	Utah	27	98
1998–99		G	Dartmouth	28	97
1999–00		G	Grambling	30	120
2000–01	(2)	G	Grambling	29	111
2001–02		G	Kansas State	34	122
2002–03		G	Xavier	30	107
2003–04		G	Wagner	28	99
2004–05		G	Belmont	28	87
2005–06		G	Maryland Eastern Shore	29	100
2006–07		G	Weber State	31	103
2007–08		G	Robert Morris	33	126
2008–09		G	Boston University	33	109
2009–10		G	Montana State	33	121
2010–11		G	Charleston	30	107
2011–12		G	Winthrop	31	121
2012–13		G	Missouri	32	112
2013–14		G	Drake	32	116
2014–15		G	Iowa	34	124
2015–16		G	Ohio	33	126
2016–17		G	Michigan State	33	122
2017–18		G	Texas State	31	137
2018–19		G	Idaho	34	154
2019–20		G	Oklahoma	30	131
2020–21		G	William & Mary	13	51
2021–22	(2)	G	Oklahoma	34	124
2022–23		G	Iowa	38	140
2023–24	(2)	G	Iowa	39	201

References

General

Web site: 2020–21 NCAA Women's Basketball Records . . May 26, 2021.

Specific

Notes and References

Web site: 2020–21 Division I Women's Basketball Records . NCAA . May 26, 2021.
Web site: 2019–20 NCAA Men's Basketball Playing Rules History . NCAA . May 26, 2021.
Web site: 2020–21 NCAA Women's Basketball Playing Rules History . NCAA . May 26, 2021.
Men’s basketball 3-point line extended to international distance . NCAA . June 7, 2019 . June 5, 2019.
International 3-point line distance approved in women’s basketball . NCAA . June 3, 2021 . August 24, 2021.
Web site: Caitlin Clark . Sports Reference CBB . Sports Reference LLC . April 11, 2024.