Over the years, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament has served as a stage for remarkable athleticism, intense competition, and unforgettable moments. From buzzer-beaters to dominant performances, each year brings a new chapter to the storied history of women’s college basketball.
As we reflect on the tournament’s legacy, it’s important to reflect just how far the women’s tournament has come. Last year’s television audience for the championship game was 10 million viewers, up over 100% from the year before! People are only clamoring for more this year. Here, we celebrate the last 15 winners of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, highlighting their triumphs and the indelible contributions they’ve made to the game.
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 87-75. It was South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley’s 3rd national championship, as well as the 3rd overall national championship for the Gamecocks women’s basketball program. South Carolina also finished the season undefeated with a record of 37-0, the first undefeated season by any program since 2016. The Final Four was held in Cleveland, Ohio. This year also marked the first time ever that the television audience was higher for the women’s championship game (18.9 million) than for the men’s championship game (14.8 million).
2023: Louisiana State University Tigers
The LSU Tigers defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 102-85. It was LSU head coach Kim Mulkey’s 3rd national championship, though her first since taking on the LSU coaching job. The win was the Tigers’ first overall national championship for the women’s basketball program. The Final Four that year was in Dallas, Texas.
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the UConn Huskies by a score of 64-49. It was South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley’s 2nd national championship, as well as the 2nd overall national championship for the Gamecocks women’s basketball program. Minneapolis, Minnesota, hosted the Final Four that year.
2021: Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal defeated the Arizona Wildcats by a single point: 54-53. It was Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer 3rd national championship, as well as the 3rd overall national championship for the Cardinal women’s basketball program. The Final Four was held in San Antonio, Texas, that year.
2020: Tournament Cancelled
This was the first time that the women’s NCAA basketball tournament was canceled since it began in 1982. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA announced on March 11 that the tournament would take place without fans because of social distancing guidelines. The next day, March 12, the NCAA followed up with another announcement that the tournament would be canceled completely for the first time.
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
The Baylor Lady Bears defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by one point: 82-81. It was Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey’s 3rd national championship, as well as the Lady Bears’ 3rd national championship for women’s basketball. The Lady Bears completed their 2018-19 season with only a single loss. The Final Four was held in Tampa, Florida, that year.
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs by a score of 61-58. It was Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw’s 2nd national championship, as well as the 2nd national championship overall for the Fighting Irish women’s basketball program. Columbus, Ohio, hosted the Final Four.
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs by a score of 67-55. It was South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley’s first national championship and the first overall national championship for the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball program. Dallas, Texas, was the site of the Final Four this year.
2016: UConn Huskies
The UConn Huskies defeated the Syracuse Orange by a score of 82-51. It was University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma’s 11th national championship and the 11th overall championship for the Huskies’ women’s basketball program. Geno Auriemma holds the record for the coach with the most NCAA basketball championships, men’s or women’s. This was also the 4th year in a row that the UConn Huskies won the national championship (also a record). The Huskies also finished the year undefeated with a record of 38-0. Indianapolis, Indiana, was the site of the Final Four.
2015: UConn Huskies
The UConn Huskies defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 63-53. This was a rematch of the previous year’s final game. It was University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma’s as well as the Huskies’ women’s basketball program’s record-tying 10th national championship. It was also their 5th championship in the past 7 years. Tampa, Florida, hosted the Final Four.
2014: UConn Huskies
The UConn Huskies defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 79-58. It was University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma’s and the Huskie’s women’s basketball program’s 9th national championship. It was also their 2nd championship in a row. The Huskies finished the season undefeated with a record of 40-0. The Final Four was hosted that year in Nashville, Tennessee.
2013: UConn Huskies
The Uconn Huskies defeated the Louisville Cardinals by a score of 93-60. It was University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma’s 8th national championship as well as the 8th overall championship for the Huskie’s women’s basketball program. New Orleans, Louisiana, was the site of the Final Four.
2012: Baylor Lady Bears
The Baylor Lady Bears defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 80-61. It was the 2nd national championship for both head coach Kim Mulkey and the overall Baylor Lady Bears women’s basketball program. Baylor finished the year undefeated with a record of 40-0. The Final Four was held in Denver, Colorado.
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
The Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 76-70. It was Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair’s first and only national championship. He retired after the 2022 season. The win also remains the Aggies’ only national championship for the women’s basketball program. Indianapolis, Indiana, was the site of the Final Four.
2010: UConn Huskies
The UConn Huskies defeated the Stanford Cardinal by a score of 53-47. It was University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma’s 7th national championship as well as the 7th overall national championship for the Huskies’ women’s basketball program. The Huskies finished the season undefeated for a second straight year in a row with a record of 39-0. San Antonio, Texas, was the site of the Final Four.
