# 1997 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament

The 1997 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament was the tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of women's college basketball among its Division I members in the United States and Canada for the 1996–97 basketball season.
Three-time defending champions Southern Nazarene defeated Union (TN) in the championship game, 78–73, to claim the Redskins' fifth NAIA national title.
The tournament was played at the Oman Arena in Jackson, Tennessee.

## Qualification

The tournament field remained fixed at thirty-two teams, with the top sixteen teams receiving seeds.
The tournament continued to utilize a simple single-elimination format.

## Bracket

| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | | Final Four | Final Four | Final Four | | National championship | National championship | National championship |
| 1 | Arkansas Tech | 89** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tougaloo | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tougaloo | 79 | 1 | Arkansas Tech | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 16 | Lipscomb | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | St. Mary's (TX) | 72 | 16 | Lipscomb | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Lipscomb | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Lipscomb | 86 | | | | 1 | Arkansas Tech | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Wayland Baptist | 59 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Wayland Baptist | 90 | | | | | | | 9 | Wayland Baptist | 59 | | | | | | | | |
| | Transylvania | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Transylvania | 72 | 9 | Wayland Baptist | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Lewis–Clark State | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Concordia Irvine | 68 | 8 | Lewis–Clark State | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Lewis–Clark State | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Lewis–Clark State | 90 | | | | | | | | 1 | Arkansas Tech | 58 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 61 | | | | |
| 5 | Central State (OH) | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 61 | | | | |
| | Indiana–South Bend | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Indiana–South Bend | 55 | 5 | Central State (OH) | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 71 | | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Montana State Northern | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Montana State Northern | 62 | | | | 5 | Central State | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | East Central (OK) | 68 | | | | | | | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| | Freed–Hardeman | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Freed–Hardeman | 76 | | Freed–Hardeman | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Voorhees | 53 | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Southern Nazarene | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Southern Nazarene | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Southern Nazarene | 78 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Union (TN) | 73 |
| 3 | Union (TN) | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Union (TN) | 73 |
| | Daemen | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Daemen | 53 | 3 | Union (TN) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | SE Oklahoma State | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Auburn Montgomery | 66 | 14 | SE Oklahoma State | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | SE Oklahoma State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | SE Oklahoma State | 78 | | | | 3 | Union (TN) | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Xavier Louisiana | 77 | | | | | | | 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| | LeTourneau | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | LeTourneau | 52 | 11 | Xavier Louisiana | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | North Georgia | 78 | 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 104 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 104 | | | | | | | | 3 | Union (TN) | 68 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 7 | SW Oklahoma State | 69 | | | | |
| 7 | SW Oklahoma State | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | SW Oklahoma State | 69 | | | | |
| | Rio Grande | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Rio Grande | 55 | 7 | SW Oklahoma State | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Harding | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Claflin | 64 | 10 | Harding | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Harding | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Harding | 66 | | | | 7 | SW Oklahoma State | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Simon Fraser | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Campbellsville | 75 | | | | | | | 2 | Simon Fraser | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| | Oklahoma Christian | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Oklahoma Christian | 72 | 15 | Campbellsville | 44 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Simon Fraser | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hannibal–LaGrange | 35 | 2 | Simon Fraser | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Simon Fraser | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |