PORTLAND, Ore. - The women's NCAA Tournament at Moda Center in Portland faced an unexpected controversy when it was discovered that the 3-point lines at each end of the court had a discrepancy in distance. The issue went unnoticed through four games until Texas and North Carolina State were informed ahead of their Elite Eight matchup on Sunday.

According to the NCAA, the teams' coaches agreed to proceed with the game as scheduled, despite the mismatched 3-point lines. N.C. State emerged victorious, defeating Texas 76-66, securing their spot in the Final Four.

Lynn Holzman, the NCAA's vice president of women's basketball, addressed the situation, stating, "The NCAA was notified that the 3-point lines on the court at Moda Center in Portland are not the same distance. All parties elected to play a complete game on the court as is, rather than correcting the court and delaying the game."

Holzman further assured that the lines would be accurately measured and corrected before Monday's game between Southern California and UConn.

The NCAA's vendor, Connor Sports, accepted responsibility for the error and issued an apology. Technicians were promptly dispatched to Moda Center to make the necessary corrections following the game.

While the discrepancy in the 3-point line distance created a distraction, it was not the only contentious issue of the tournament. Previous problems included a referee being pulled out of a game at halftime, instances of racist harassment, and controversial incidents involving player dress code and media coverage.

Texas coach Vic Schaefer expressed disappointment, stating, "I hate to say this, but I have a lot of colleagues that would say, 'Only in women's basketball.' It's a shame, really, that it even happened."

Surprisingly, none of the participating teams in the Sweet 16 games held on Friday and Saturday publicly acknowledged the issue with the court.

During pregame warmups, both coaches, Schaefer and N.C. State's Wes Moore, were made aware of the difference in the 3-point line distance at the top of the key. The measurement was found to be too short at one end, while the other end was correct, as per Moore's explanation.

NCAA officials were called in to measure the distance before tip-off, and after discussions with representatives, coaches, and officials, it was decided to proceed with the game as scheduled to avoid significant delays.

Both coaches affirmed that their players were unaware of the discrepancy, and N.C. State's Aziaha James performed exceptionally well, making a career-high seven 3-pointers on nine attempts.

Statistically, teams shooting on the end with the closer 3-point line had a lower success rate of 25.8% (23 of 89) compared to the end with the correct arc, where teams shot 33.3% (29 of 87) during the five affected games.

The NCAA has promised a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the court discrepancy and emphasized the importance of accurately marking court dimensions for future games.

Despite the unintended advantage or disadvantage created by the court error, coaches and players alike expressed their resilience and determination to overcome obstacles and focus on the game at hand.

As the NCAA works to rectify the situation for future matches, the women's tournament continues to captivate fans with the exceptional play from the teams involved.

Monday's Elite Eight matchup between Southern California and UConn will see the corrected court markings in place, ensuring fair play and eliminating any potential differences in the 3-point line distances.