2024 NCAA Basketball Women’s Tournament
In a highly anticipated showdown, the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament Women's Championship featured a thrilling clash between the top-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes and the formidable (1) South Carolina Gamecocks. The matchup showcased the pinnacle of women's college basketball, drawing attention from fans and analysts alike. Both teams had displayed exceptional skill and resilience throughout the tournament, earning their spots in the championship game with impressive performances in the preceding rounds. The stage was set for a memorable battle as the Hawkeyes, led by their star players, squared off against the Gamecocks' dominant defense and offensive prowess.
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2024 WNCAA Basketball Tournament Championship
(1) Iowa Hawkeyes vs. (1) South Carolina Gamecocks – 3:00 PM ET (ESPN)
Sunday, April 7 - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – Cleveland, Ohio
Women's NCAA Tournament Format
The NCAA didn't sanction the initial tournament for women's basketball. Officially, what we know today as the Women’s NCAA Tournament was founded in 1982, and the original edition of this event had 32 teams. The bracket expanded to 36 teams in 1983, then went back to 32 teams for 1984 and 1985. Then, just as the men moved to a 64-team field in 1985, the ladies started working in that direction as well.
The first 40-team WNCAA Tournament happened in 1986, and three years later, the field expanded again to 48 teams. In 1994, the field grew to the full 64 teams we have today. The number of automatic and at-large bids only slightly fluctuated for a while, generally sticking right around 32 conference winners and 32 at-large selections. However, the Women’s NCAA Tournament followed the men in expanding to 68 teams in 2022. Unlike the men’s tournament though, the First Four is not held exclusively in Dayton, but instead the teams that are trying to qualify for the tournament proper are sent ahead to regional sites they will play at if they manage to win.
We saw another change in the Women’s NCAA Tournament in 2023. There are still 16 tournament hosts for the first and second round, but only two cities will host the Regional Finals instead of the usual four sites.
National Championship Games
| YEARS |
WINNER |
RUNNER-UP |
VENUE |
| 2024 |
South Carolina |
Iowa |
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse |
| 2023 |
LSU |
Iowa |
American Airlines Center |
| 2022 |
South Carolina |
Connecticut |
Target Center |
| 2021 |
Stanford |
Arizona |
Alamodome |
| 2020 |
Cancelled |
| 2019 |
Baylor |
Notre Dame |
Amalie Arena |
| 2018 |
Notre Dame |
Mississippi St. |
Nationwide Arena |
| 2017 |
South Carolina |
Mississippi St. |
American Airlines Center |
| 2016 |
Connecticut |
Syracuse |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
| 2015 |
Connecticut |
Notre Dame |
Amalie Arena |
| 2014 |
Connecticut |
Notre Dame |
Bridgestone Arena |
| 2013 |
Connecticut |
Louisville |
New Orleans Arena |
| 2012 |
Baylor |
Notre Dame |
Pepsi Center |
| 2011 |
Texas A&M |
Notre Dame |
Conseco Fieldhouse |
| 2010 |
Connecticut |
Stanford |
Alamodome |
| 2009 |
Connecticut |
Louisville |
Scottrade Center |
| 2008 |
Tennessee |
Stanford |
St. Pete Times Forum |
| 2007 |
Tennessee |
Rutgers |
Quicken Loans Arena |
| 2006 |
Maryland |
Duke |
TD Garden |
| 2005 |
Baylor |
Michigan State |
RCA Dome |
| 2004 |
Connecticut |
Tennessee |
New Orleans Arena |
| 2003 |
Connecticut |
Tennessee |
Georgia Dome |
| 2002 |
Connecticut |
Oklahoma |
Alamodome |
| 2001 |
Notre Dame |
Purdue |
Savvis Center |
| 2000 |
Connecticut |
Tennessee |
First Union Center |
| 1999 |
Purdue |
Duke |
San Jose Arena |
| 1998 |
Tennessee |
Louisiana Tech |
Kemper Arena |
| 1997 |
Tennessee |
Old Dominion |
Riverfront Coliseum |
| 1996 |
Tennessee |
Georgia |
Charlotte Coliseum |
| 1995 |
Connecticut |
Tennessee |
Target Center |
| 1994 |
North Carolina |
Louisiana Tech |
Richmond Coliseum |
| 1993 |
Texas Tech |
Ohio State |
Omni Coliseum |
| 1992 |
Stanford |
Western Kentucky |
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena |
| 1991 |
Tennessee |
Virginia |
Lakefront Arena |
| 1990 |
Stanford |
Auburn |
Thompson-Boling Arena |
| 1989 |
Tennessee |
Auburn |
Tacoma Dome |
| 1988 |
Louisiana Tech |
Auburn |
Tacoma Dome |
| 1987 |
Tennessee |
Louisiana Tech |
Frank Erwin Center |
| 1986 |
Texas |
USC |
Rupp Arena |
| 1985 |
Old Dominion |
Georgia |
Frank Erwin Center |
| 1984 |
USC |
Tennessee |
Pauley Pavilion |
| 1983 |
USC |
Louisiana Tech |
Norfolk Scope |
| 1982 |
Louisiana Tech |
Cheyney State |
Norfolk Scope |
Most National Championships
| WINS |
TEAM |
YEARS |
| 11 |
Connecticut |
1995, 2000, 2002-2004, 2009-2010, 2013-2016 |
| 8 |
Tennessee |
1987, 1989, 1991, 1996-1998, 2007-2008 |
| 3 |
South Carolina |
2017, 2022, 2023 |
| 3 |
Stanford |
1990, 1992, 2021 |
| 3 |
Baylor |
2005, 2012, 2019 |
| 2 |
Louisiana Tech |
1982, 1988 |
| 2 |
USC |
1983, 1984 |
| 2 |
Notre Dame |
2001, 2018 |
| 1 |
LSU |
2023 |
| 1 |
Maryland |
2006 |
| 1 |
North Carolina |
1994 |
| 1 |
Old Dominion |
1985 |
| 1 |
Purdue |
1999 |
| 1 |
Texas |
1986 |
| 1 |
Texas A&M |
2011 |
| 1 |
Texas Tech |
1993 |
After a little more than two decades as THE premier program in the sport, the Connecticut Huskies’ women’s basketball team has taken a step back in recent years. UConn won 11 national championships between 1995 and 2016, but the playing field is starting to even out with South Carolina, Stanford, Baylor, and Notre Dame all claiming national titles in the last several years.
The first dynasty in women’s basketball was Tennessee, and the Volunteers are the only school to make every edition of the NCAA Tournament to date. Pat Summitt established herself as a household name by leading the Lady Vols to eight national championships, and she retired with 1,098 career wins to her name.
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