# 2005 Women's National Invitation Tournament

The 2005 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2005 Women's NCAA tournament. It was the eighth edition of the postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The final four of the tournament paired Missouri State against Iowa and West Virginia against Kentucky. Missouri State upended Iowa 89–80. Meanwhile, West Virginia and Kentucky played a double overtime thriller, which ended up with West Virginia winning 80–75.
The final pitted Missouri State and West Virginia against each other in Springfield, Missouri, as the Lady Bears hosted at the Hammons Student Center. The game was another close one for both teams, with Missouri State ultimately pulling out the victory for their 1st WNIT Championship, 78–70.

## Bracket
### Region 1

*Host • Source
| March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 |
| Tulsa | Tulsa | 62 | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | Texas A&M | 73 | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | Texas A&M | 73 | Texas A&M | Texas A&M | 65 | | | |
| | | | Texas A&M-CC | Texas A&M-CC | 59 | | | |
| Fresno State | Fresno State | 52 | Texas A&M-CC | Texas A&M-CC | 59 | | | |
| Texas A&M Corpus Christi* | Texas A&M Corpus Christi* | 56 | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M Corpus Christi* | Texas A&M Corpus Christi* | 56 | | | | Texas A&M | Texas A&M | 60 |
| | | | | | | Missouri State* | Missouri State* | 62 |
| SMU | SMU | 56 | | | | | | | Missouri State* | Missouri State* | 62 |
| Missouri State* | Missouri State* | 83 | | | | | | |
| Missouri State* | Missouri State* | 83 | Missouri State | Missouri State | 85 | | | |
| | | | Gonzaga | Gonzaga | 66 | | | |
| BYU | BYU | 57 | Gonzaga | Gonzaga | 66 | | | |
| Gonzaga | Gonzaga | 71 | | | | | | |

### Region 2

*Host • Source
| March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 |
| UNLV | UNLV | 48 | | | | | | |
| Arkansas | Arkansas | 61 | | | | | | |
| Arkansas | Arkansas | 61 | Arkansas | Arkansas | 84 | | | |
| | | | Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 98 | | | |
| Mississippi State | Mississippi State | 61 | Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 98 | | | |
| Arkansas State* | Arkansas State* | 78 | | | | | | |
| Arkansas State* | Arkansas State* | 78 | | | | Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 52 |
| | | | | | | Iowa | Iowa | 66 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | 66 | | | | | | | Iowa | Iowa | 66 |
| Marquette | Marquette | 57 | | | | | | |
| Marquette | Marquette | 57 | Nebraska | Nebraska | 67 | | | |
| | | | Iowa | Iowa | 71 | | | |
| Creighton | Creighton | 52 | Iowa | Iowa | 71 | | | |
| Iowa | Iowa | 67 | | | | | | |

### Region 3

*Host • Source
| March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 |
| Illinois | Illinois | 60 | | | | | | |
| Indiana State | Indiana State | 72 | | | | | | |
| Indiana State | Indiana State | 72 | Indiana State | Indiana State | 70 | | | |
| | | | Xavier | Xavier | 79 | | | |
| Xavier | Xavier | 87 | Xavier | Xavier | 79 | | | |
| Western Kentucky | Western Kentucky | 85 | | | | | | |
| Western Kentucky | Western Kentucky | 85 | | | | Xavier | Xavier | 62 |
| | | | | | | Kentucky | Kentucky | 67 |
| Eastern Michigan | Eastern Michigan | 68 | | | | | | | Kentucky | Kentucky | 67 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky | 79 | | | | | | |
| Kentucky | Kentucky | 79 | Kentucky | Kentucky | 91 | | | |
| | | | Chattanooga | Chattanooga | 54 | | | |
| Villanova | Villanova | 40 | Chattanooga | Chattanooga | 54 | | | |
| Chattanooga | Chattanooga | 50 | | | | | | |

### Region 4

*Host • Source
| March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 16–17 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 19–21 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 | March 22–24 |
| Charlotte | Charlotte | 75 | | | | | | |
| Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 100 | | | | | | |
| Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 100 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 78 | | | |
| | | | South Florida | South Florida | 63 | | | |
| Florida | Florida | 56 | South Florida | South Florida | 63 | | | |
| South Florida | South Florida | 61 | | | | | | |
| South Florida | South Florida | 61 | | | | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | 52 |
| | | | | | | West Virginia | West Virginia | 65 |
| St. John's | St. John's | 56 | | | | | | | West Virginia | West Virginia | 65 |
| Delaware | Delaware | 42 | | | | | | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 42 | St. John's | St. John's | 63 | | | |
| | | | West Virginia | West Virginia | 68 | | | |
| Maine | Maine | 59 | West Virginia | West Virginia | 68 | | | |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 74 | | | | | | |

### Semifinals and championship game

| WNIT Semifinals March 26–28 | WNIT Semifinals March 26–28 | WNIT Semifinals March 26–28 | WNIT Championship Game March 31, 2005 | WNIT Championship Game March 31, 2005 | WNIT Championship Game March 31, 2005 |
| Missouri State | Missouri State | 89 | | | |
| Iowa | Iowa | 80 | | | |
| Iowa | Iowa | 80 | Missouri State | Missouri State | 78 |
| | | | West Virginia | West Virginia | 70 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky | 75 | West Virginia | West Virginia | 70 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 80 2OT | | | |

## All-tournament team

* Jenny Lingor, Missouri State (MVP)
* Kari Koch, Missouri State
* Yolanda Paige, West Virginia
* Meg Bulger, West Virginia
* Crystal Smith, Iowa
* Sara Potts, Kentucky
Source: