All-Time Champions
A comprehensive list of collegiate women’s basketball champions by year and governing body.
NCAA Champions
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship has been the official national championship for women’s college basketball since 1981-82. The NCAA began sponsoring a national championship for women’s basketball and 11 other women’s sports in 1981-82. It marked the first time that the NCAA sponsored championship events in women’s sports. When it began in 1982, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament featured 32 teams. It was comprised of 36 teams in 1983, 32 teams in 1984 and 1985, and 40 teams from 1986-88. In 1989, the field expanded to 48 teams and remained that way through the 1993 event. From 1994-2021, the tournament field was 64 teams before growing to 68 in 2022.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | RUNNERUP | LOCATION |
| 2023 | Louisiana State | Iowa | Dallas, TX |
| 2022 | South Carolina | UConn | Minneapolis, MN |
| 2021 | Stanford | Arizona | San Antonio, TX |
| 2020 | Canceled – COVID 19 | ||
| 2019 | Baylor | Notre Dame | Tampa, FL |
| 2018 | Notre Dame | Mississippi State | Columbus, OH |
| 2017 | South Carolina | Mississippi State | Dallas, TX |
| 2016 | UConn | Syracuse | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2015 | UConn | Notre Dame | Tampa, FL |
| 2014 | UConn | Notre Dame | Nashville, TN |
| 2013 | UConn | Louisville | New Orleans, LA |
| 2012 | Baylor | Notre Dame | Denver, CO |
| 2011 | Texas A&M | Notre Dame | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2010 | UConn | Stanford | San Antonio, TX |
| 2009 | UConn | Louisville | St. Louis, MO |
| 2008 | Tennessee | Stanford | Tampa, FL |
| 2007 | Tennessee | Rutgers | Cleveland, OH |
| 2006 | Maryland | Duke | Boston, MA |
| 2005 | Baylor | Michigan State | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2004 | UConn | Tennessee | New Orleans, LA |
| 2003 | UConn | Tennessee | Atlanta, GA |
| 2002 | UConn | Oklahoma | San Antonio, TX |
| 2001 | Notre Dame | Purdue | St. Louis, MO |
| 2000 | UConn | Tennessee | Philadelphia, PA |
| 1999 | Purdue | Duke | San Jose, CA |
| 1998 | Tennessee | Louisiana Tech | Kansas City, MO |
| 1997 | Tennessee | Old Dominion | Cincinnati, OH |
| 1996 | Tennessee | Georgia | Charlotte, NC |
| 1995 | UConn | Tennessee | Minneapolis, MN |
| 1994 | North Carolina | Louisiana Tech | Richmond, VA |
| 1993 | Texas Tech | Ohio State | Atlanta, GA |
| 1992 | Stanford | Western Kentucky | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1991 | Tennessee | Virginia | New Orleans, LA |
| 1990 | Stanford | Auburn | Knoxville, TN |
| 1989 | Tennessee | Auburn | Tacoma, WA |
| 1988 | Louisiana Tech | Auburn | Tacoma, WA |
| 1987 | Tennessee | Louisiana Tech | Austin, TX |
| 1986 | Texas | USC | Lexington, KY |
| 1985 | Old Dominion | Georgia | Austin, TX |
| 1984 | USC | Tennessee | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1983 | USC | Louisiana Tech | Norfolk, VA |
| 1982 | Louisiana Tech | Cheyney State | Norfolk, VA |
AIAW Champions
The Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern women’s athletics and administer national championship events. It began in 1967 as the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. The AIAW Tournament for women’s basketball was contested each year from 1972-1982. It is recognized as the official women’s basketball national championship event from 1972-1981. There was one year of overlap with the NCAA Championship in 1982, after which time the NCAA took over sole governance of women’s collegiate athletics. As part of the AIAW Tournament, 16 teams were invited to the national tournament following 10 regional tournaments. Ten of the participants were winners of regional tournaments, while six were at-large selections. Beginning in 1975, the event was divided by divisions and held tournaments for Division I, Division II and Division III.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | RUNNERUP | LOCATION |
| 1982 | Rutgers | Texas | Philadelphia, PA |
| 1981 | Louisiana Tech | Tennessee | Eugene, OR |
| 1980 | Old Dominion | Tennessee | Mt. Pleasant, MI |
| 1979 | Old Dominion | Louisiana Tech | Greensboro, NC |
| 1978 | UCLA | Maryland | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1977 | Delta State | Louisiana State | Minneapolis, MN |
| 1976 | Delta State | Immaculata | University Park, PA |
| 1975 | Delta State | Immaculata | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 1974 | Immaculata | Mississippi State College for Women | Manhattan, KS |
| 1973 | Immaculata | Queens | Flushing, NY |
| 1972 | Immaculata | West Chester State | Normal, IL |
CIAW Champions
The CIAW Tournament, as part of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, served as the national championship event for women’s basketball from 1969-71.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | RUNNERUP | LOCATION |
| 1971 | Mississippi State College for Women | West Chester | Cullowhee, NC |
| 1970 | West Chester | Western Carolina | West Chester, PA |
National Women’s Invitational Tournament
The National Women’s Invitational Tournament was contested from 1969 to 1996. Like its counterpart from the men’s side, the National Invitation Tournament, in the early days, the NWIT served as an alternative national championship for women’s basketball. From 1969-77, the NWIT Champions were considered national champions. From 1969-74, the event also included junior colleges. The eight-team tournament was originally held at the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas. Beginning in the late 1970s, the NWIT became a secondary tournament, as did the NIT on the men’s side. The NWIT folded in 1996 but returned in 1998 as the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, managed by Triple Crown Sports.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | RUNNERUP | LOCATION |
| 1977 | Wayland Baptist | UCLA | Amarillo, TX |
| 1976 | Wayland Baptist | UCLA | Amarillo, TX |
| 1975 | Wayland Baptist | UCLA | Amarillo, TX |
| 1974 | Wayland Baptist | John F. Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1973 | Wayland Baptist | John F. Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1972 | Wayland Baptist | John F. Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1971 | Wayland Baptist | Parsons | Amarillo, TX |
| 1970 | Wayland Baptist | Midwestern State | Amarillo, TX |
| 1969 | Wayland Baptist | Ouachita Baptist | Amarillo, TX |
AAU Champions
The Amateur Athletic Union first sponsored a national championship for women’s basketball beginning in 1926. At its inception, the AAU women’s basketball championship was played with men’s basketball rules, which was highly controversial at the time. More than 5,000 fans attended the very first event. The AAU Champion was the official national champion for women’s basketball from 1926 to 1969, when the CIAW and NWIT began hosting national championship events. Women’s basketball teams at the time were club teams sponsored by corporations. While a number of universities began sponsoring women’s basketball teams in the early 1900s, many had disbanded their programs by the late 1920s and, by the end of the decade, only 12 percent of colleges and universities fielded varsity women’s basketball teams.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | RUNNERUP | LOCATION |
| 1979 | Anna’s Bananas | Sophisticated Ladies (WDC) | Allentown, PA |
| 1978 | Anna’s Bananas | Adidas (formerly National General) | Cyprus College, CA |
| 1977 | General West | Wayland Baptist | Gallup, NM |
| 1976 | Wayland Baptist | John F. Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1975 | Wayland Baptist | John F. Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1974 | Wayland Baptist | John F. Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1973 | John F. Kennedy College | Parsons | Amarillo, TX |
| 1972 | John F. Kennedy College | Midwestern State | Amarillo, TX |
| 1971 | Wayland Baptist | Ouachita Baptist | Amarillo, TX |
| 1970 | Wayland Baptist | Ouachita Baptist | Gallup, NM |
| 1969 | Nashville Business College | John F Kennedy College | Amarillo, TX |
| 1968 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | Gallup, NM |
| 1967 | Nashville Business College | Raytown | Gallup, NM |
| 1966 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | Gallup, NM |
| 1965 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | Gallup, NM |
| 1964 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1963 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1962 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1961 | Wayland Baptist | Nashville Business College | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1960 | Nashville Business College | Wayland Baptist | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1959 | Wayland Baptist | Nashville Business College | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1958 | Nashville Business College | Iowa Wesleyan | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1957 | Wayland Baptist | Iowa Wesleyan | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1956 | Wayland Baptist | Nashville Business College | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1955 | Wayland Baptist | Omaha Commercial Extension (OCE) | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1954 | Wayland Baptist | Kansas City Dons | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1953 | Hanes Hosiery | Wayland Baptist | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1952 | Hanes Hosiery | AIC | Wichita, KS |
| 1951 | Hanes Hosiery | Wayland Baptist | Dallas, TX |
| 1950 | Nashville Business College | Cook’s Goldblumes | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1949 | Cook’s Goldblumes | Nashville Business College | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1948 | Cook’s Goldblumes | Atlanta Blues | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1947 | Atlanta Sports Arena Blues | Cook’s Goldblumes | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1946 | Cook’s Goldblumes | Dr. Wett’s (IA) | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1945 | Vultee Bomberettes | Little Rock Dr. Pepper | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1944 | Vultee Bomberettes | AIB | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1943 | AIC | AIB | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1942 | AIC | Little Rock Flyers | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1941 | Little Rock Flyers | Nashville Business College | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1940 | Little Rock Flyers | Nashville Business College | St. Joseph, MO |
| 1939 | Anicos | Little Rock Flyers | Wichita, KS |
| 1938 | Anicos | Wichita | Wichita, KS |
| 1937 | Little Rock Flyers | Galveston Anicos (TX) | Wichita, KS |
| 1936 | Tulsa Business College Stenos | El Dorado | Wichita, KS |
| 1935 | Tulsa Business College Stenos | Holdenville Flyers (OK) | Wichita, KS |
| 1934 | Tulsa Business College Stenos | Oklahoma City | Wichita, KS |
| 1933 | Presbyterian College (OK) | Golden Cyclones | Wichita, KS |
| 1932 | Presbyterian College (OK) | Golden Cyclones | Shreveport, LA |
| 1931 | Dallas Golden Cyclones | Wichita Thurstons | Dallas, TX |
| 1930 | Sunoco Oilers | Sparkman | Wichita, KS |
| 1929 | Sunoco Oilers | Employer’s Casualty Company/Gold Cyclones | Wichita, KS |
| 1928 | Canceled: Sunoco Oilers Declared Champions | ||
| 1927 | Canceled: Sunoco Oilers Declared Champions | ||
| 1926 | Pasadena Athletic & Country Club | Anaheim | Los Angeles, CA |