# NAIA women's basketball championship

The NAIA women's basketball tournament has been held annually by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics since 1981 to determine the national champion of women's college basketball among its members in the United States and Canada.
The tournament was created to crown a women's national title for smaller colleges and universities, debuting one year before the first NCAA women's basketball tournament in 1982.
From 1992 to 2020, the NAIA sponsored two championships, one for its Division I members and another for those in its Division II. Both tournaments moved venues several times during the existences, with the final locations ultimately being Billings, Montana for Division I and Sioux City, Iowa for Division II. During this time, the NAIA tournaments featured 32 teams with the entire events contested at a single arena over the course of one week. Following renewals, the 2018 and 2019 tournaments were held in those same cities, but the 2020 tournaments were called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
From 2021, the two tournaments were merged back into a single event, which initially featured 48 teams in 2021 before expanding to 64 teams in 2022. Since the expansion of the tournament to its current size, the format of the event has featured teams beginning play at one of sixteen regional sites with the winners of those regionals advancing to play in a final, four-round national tournament in Sioux City.
Dordt are the defending champions, winnining their first national title in 2024.

## Results
### Single division (1981–1991)

For the first eleven years that the NAIA sponsored women's basketball, it held a single national championship for all programs across its entire membership. The tournament field was initially set at eight before later expansions to 16 and 32 teams.
NAIA Women's Basketball Championship :
| Year | Arena | Location | Championship | Championship | Championship | Third-place game | Third-place game | Third-place game |
| Year | Arena | Location | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place |
| 1981 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | Kentucky State | 73–67 | Texas Southern | Northern State | 74–65 | Azusa Pacific |
| 1982 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | SW Oklahoma State | 80–45 | Missouri Southern State | Saginaw Valley State | 71–61 | Berry |
| 1983 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | SW Oklahoma State (2) | 80–68 | Alabama–Huntsville | UMKC | 85–65 | Portland |
| 1984 Details | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Venue Unknown | UNC Asheville | 72–70 (OT) | Portland | Dillard | 70–66 | Berry |
| 1985 Details | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Venue Unknown | SW Oklahoma State (3) | 55–54 | Saginaw Valley State | Wayland Baptist | 70–64 | Midland Lutheran |
| 1986 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | Francis Marion | 75–65 | Wayland Baptist | Louisiana College | 85–78 | Georgia Southwestern |
| 1987 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | SW Oklahoma State (4) | 60–58 | North Georgia | Wisconsin–Green Bay | 82–56 | Arkansas Tech |
| 1988 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | Oklahoma City | 113–95 | Claflin | Arkansas Tech | 86–81 (OT) | Wingate |
| 1989 Details | Kansas City, Missouri | Venue Unknown | Southern Nazarene | 98–96 | Claflin | Arkansas Tech & St. Ambrose | Arkansas Tech & St. Ambrose | Arkansas Tech & St. Ambrose |
| 1990 Details | Jackson, Tennessee | Oman Arena | SW Oklahoma State (5) | 82–75 | Arkansas–Monticello | Claflin & St. Ambrose | Claflin & St. Ambrose | Claflin & St. Ambrose |
| 1991 Details | Jackson, Tennessee | Oman Arena | Fort Hays State | 57–53 | SW Oklahoma State | Claflin & IUPUI | Claflin & IUPUI | Claflin & IUPUI |

### Division I (1992–2020)

The NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament was most recently held at the Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark in Billings, Montana, which hosted from 2017 until the return to a single division after the 2019–20 season. The NAIA was the only international intercollegiate athletic association in North America; the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship was the first championship to feature a college from outside the United States in the championship game. Former member Simon Fraser University was the national DI runner-up in 1996 and 1997. Oklahoma City University has the most tournament championships with 9, and most championship game appearances with 11.
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship :
| Year | Arena | Location | Championship | Championship | Championship | | Semifinalists |
| Year | Arena | Location | Champion | Score | Runner-up | | Semifinalists |
| 1992 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Arkansas Tech | 84–68 | Wayland Baptist | | St. Edward's (TX) & SW Oklahoma State |
| 1993 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Arkansas Tech (2) | 76–75 | Union (TN) | | Southern Nazarene & SW Oklahoma State |
| 1994 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Southern Nazarene (2) | 97–74 | David Lipscomb | | Auburn Montgomery & Montevallo |
| 1995 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Southern Nazarene (3) | 78–77 | SE Oklahoma State | | Lipscomb & SW Oklahoma State |
| 1996 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Southern Nazarene (4) | 80–79 | SE Oklahoma State | | Lipscomb & Union (TN) |
| 1997 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Southern Nazarene (5) | 78–73 | Union (TN) | | Arkansas Tech & SW Oklahoma State |
| 1998 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Union (TN) | 73–70 | Southern Nazarene | | Findlay & Simon Fraser |
| 1999 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Oklahoma City (2) | 72–55 | Simon Fraser | | Freed-Hardeman & Southern Nazarene |
| 2000 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Oklahoma City (3) | 64–55 | Simon Fraser (B.C.) | | Findlay & Southern Nazarene |
| 2001 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Oklahoma City (4) | 69–52 | Auburn Montgomery | | Lewis–Clark State & Southern Nazarene |
| 2002 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Oklahoma City (5) | 82–73 | Southern Nazarene | | Central State (OH) & Union (TN) |
| 2003 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Southern Nazarene (6) | 71–70 | Oklahoma City | | USAO & Vanguard |
| 2004 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Southern Nazarene (7) | 77–61 | Oklahoma City | | Brescia & Houston Baptist |
| 2005 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Union (TN) (2) | 67–63 | Oklahoma City | | Houston Baptist & Point Loma Nazarene |
| 2006 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Union (TN) (3) | 79–62 | Lubbock Christian | | The Master's & Vanguard |
| 2007 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Lambuth | 63–50 | Cumberland | | Union (TN) & Vanguard |
| 2008 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Vanguard | 72–59 | Trevecca Nazarene | | Freed-Hardeman & Union (TN) |
| 2009 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Union (TN) (4) | 73–63 | Lambuth | | Oklahoma Baptist & Oklahoma City |
| 2010 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Union (TN) (5) | 73–65 | Azusa Pacific | | Lee (TN) & Oklahoma City |
| 2011 Details | Oman Arena | Jackson, Tennessee | Azusa Pacific | 65–59 | Union (TN) | | Freed-Hardeman & Shawnee State |
| 2012 Details | Frankfort Convention Center | Frankfort, Kentucky | Oklahoma City (6) | 69–48 | Union (TN) | | Georgetown (KY) & Lubbock Christian |
| 2013 Details | Frankfort Convention Center | Frankfort, Kentucky | Westmont | 71–65 | Lee (TN) | | Cumberland & Freed-Hardeman |
| 2014 Details | Frankfort Convention Center | Frankfort, Kentucky | Oklahoma City (7) | 80–76 | Freed-Hardeman | | John Brown & Wiley |
| 2015 Details | Independence Events Center | Independence, Missouri | Oklahoma City (8) | 80–63 | Campbellsville | | Freed-Hardeman & Westmont |
| 2016 Details | Independence Events Center | Independence, Missouri | MidAmerica Nazarene | 49–35 | Baker | | Benedictine (KS) & Pikeville |
| 2017 Details | Rimrock Auto Arena | Billings, Montana | Oklahoma City (9) | 73–66 | Lewis-Clark State | | Campbellsville & Vanguard |
| 2018 Details | Rimrock Auto Arena | Billings, Montana | Freed-Hardeman | 76–64 | Westmont | | Montana Western & Wayland Baptist |
| 2019 Details | Rimrock Auto Arena | Billings, Montana | Montana Western | 75–59 | Oklahoma City | | Our Lady of the Lake & Freed-Hardeman |
| 2020 Details | Rimrock Auto Arena | Billings, Montana | No tournament due to COVID-19. | No tournament due to COVID-19. | No tournament due to COVID-19. | No tournament due to COVID-19. | No tournament due to COVID-19. |

### Single division (2021–present)

In 2018, the NAIA announced a new format for the 2021 tournament after the merger of Divisions I and II.
NAIA Women's Basketball Championship :
| Year | Arena | Location | Championship | Championship | Championship | Semifinalists |
| Year | Arena | Location | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Semifinalists |
| 2021 Details | Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa | Westmont (2) | 72–61 | Thomas More | Indiana Wesleyan & Morningside |
| 2022 Details | Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa | Thomas More | 77–65 | Dordt | Central Methodist & Southeastern (FL) |
| 2023 Details | Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa | Clarke | 63–52 | Thomas More | Central Methodist & Dakota State |
| 2024 Details | Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa | Dordt | 57–53 | Providence (MT) | Carroll & Cumberlands |
| 2025 Details | Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa | | | | |

## Champions

* Division II titles are not included in this list. Schools in italics are no longer in the NAIA.

### Active programs

| Team | Titles | Years |
| Oklahoma City | 9 | 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 |
| Vanguard | 1 | 2008 |
| MidAmerica Nazarene | 1 | 2016 |
| Freed–Hardeman | 1 | 2018 |
| Montana Western | 1 | 2019 |
| Clarke | 1 | 2023 |
| Dordt | 1 | 2024 |

### Former programs

| Team | Titles | Years |
| Southern Nazarene | 7 | 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004 |
| SW Oklahoma State | 5 | 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990 |
| Union (TN) | 5 | 1998, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 |
| Westmont | 2 | 2013, 2021 |
| Arkansas Tech | 2 | 1992, 1993 |
| Kentucky State | 1 | 1981 |
| UNC Asheville | 1 | 1984 |
| Francis Marion | 1 | 1986 |
| Fort Hays State | 1 | 1991 |
| Lambuth | 1 | 2007 |
| Azusa Pacific | 1 | 2011 |
| Thomas More | 1 | 2022 |