7 schools with the most women’s basketball national championships

NCAA Basketball

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The Stanford Cardinal brought home the women’s basketball championship in 2021, the first for them in nearly 30 years. That win moves them up the ladder, now with three national championships to their name. 

2021 RECAP: Complete tournament coverage of Stanford’s title run

Louisiana Tech was the first national champion in Division I women’s basketball, defeating Cheyney 76-62 in 1982 in the first title game in Norfolk, Virginia. Six years later, the Lady Techsters grabbed their second title, making them one of seven women’s basketball programs with multiple titles. 

Here’s a look at the women’s basketball teams with the most national championships.

11 — Connecticut (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1995)

NCAA Photos
UConn women's basketball has won 11 titles.

The Huskies always seem like the team with the largest target on their back every season. Of their 11 titles, six have ended in undefeated seasons. Two of those came during their record 111-game winning streak that spanned 867 days from 2014 to 2017. Those undefeated seasons were:

  • 1995 (35-0)
  • 2002 (39-0)
  • 2009 (39-0)
  • 2010 (39-0)
  • 2014 (40-0)
  • 2016 (38-0)

8 — Tennessee (2008, 2007, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1991, 1989, 1987)

NCAA Photos
Pat Summitt of Tennessee women's basketball.

There were winners of multiple titles before the Lady Vols came along, but Pat Summitt led women’s basketball to the national spotlight. She coached 38 seasons and never posted a losing record. That included eight titles over three decades and five more national runner-up campaigns.

NCAA RECORDS: Geno, Summitt headline 16 unbreakable records (we think)

3 (tied)— Baylor (2019, 2012, 2005)

NCAA Photos
Baylor won the 2019 women's basketball championship.

Kim Mulkey has made the Bears annual contenders and the reigning queens of the hardwood. Baylor’s last two titles have been rather memorable, clinging to a one-point win in 2019 and completing a 40-0 season in 2012.

 3 — Stanford (2021, 1992, 1990)

NCAA Photos
Stanford women's basketball.

No school has more national championships than The Cardinal’s 124, and now three of those are thanks to the women’s basketball team. Those early 90s titles were the last two titles for Stanford until the 2021 championship, but the Cardinal are still perennial contenders, with this their 11th Final Four since that 1992 title.

2 (tied) — Notre Dame (2018, 2001)

NCAA Photos
Notre Dame won the 2018 women's basketball championship.

Notre Dame fell one basket short of being the first repeat champions not named UConn or Tennessee since the 1983 and 1984 championships. Head coach Muffet McGraw changed the face of the program, and although they only have one title over the past decade, Notre Dame has been to six championship games over the same span.

2 (tied) — Louisiana Tech (1988, 1982)

The Lady Techsters will forever be remembered as the first national champions. In fact, they appeared in four of the first seven title games. Louisiana Tech has four national runner-up campaigns, not reaching the finals since the 1998 season.

2019-2020 WATCH: Teams with longest active home winning streaks | WNBA All-Star rosters

2 (tied) — Southern California (1984, 1983)

The Trojans were the first repeat champions in women’s basketball history. USC first ruined LA Tech’s hopes of a repeat in ‘83 before a two-point victory in 1984 sent Pat Summitt home winless in her first attempt at a national championship.

Here’s a complete history of the women’s basketball championship game:

YEAR CHAMPION (RECORD) COACH SCORE RUNNER-UP SITE
2021 Stanford (31-2) Tara VanDerveer 54-53 Arizona San Antonio, Texas
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic        
2019 Baylor (37-1) Kim Mulkey 82-81 Notre Dame Tampa, Fla.
2018 Notre Dame (34-3) Muffet McGraw 61-58 Mississippi State Columbus, Ohio
2017 South Carolina (33-4) Dawn Staley 67-55 Mississippi State Dallas, Texas
2016 Connecticut (38-0) Geno Auriemma 82-51 Syracuse Indianapolis, Ind.
2015 Connecticut (38-1) Geno Auriemma 63-53 Notre Dame Tampa, Fla.
2014 Connecticut (40-0) Geno Auriemma 79-58 Notre Dame Nashville, Tenn.
2013 Connecticut (35-4) Geno Auriemma 93-60 Louisville New Orleans, La.
2012 Baylor (40-0) Kim Mulkey 80-61 Notre Dame Denver, Colo.
2011 Texas A&M (33-5) Gary Blair 76-70 Notre Dame Indianapolis, Ind.
2010 Connecticut (39-0) Geno Auriemma 53-47 Stanford San Antonio, Texas
2009 Connecticut (39-0) Geno Auriemma 76-54 Louisville St. Louis, Mo.
2008 Tennessee (36-2) Pat Summitt 64-48 Stanford Tampa, Fla.
2007 Tennessee (34-3) Pat Summitt 59-46 Rutgers Cleveland, Ohio
2006 Maryland (34-4) Brenda Frese 78-75 (OT) Duke Boston, Mass.
2005 Baylor (33-3) Kim Mulkey 84-62 Michigan State Indianapolis, Ind.
2004 Connecticut (31-4) Geno Auriemma 70-61 Tennessee New Orleans, La.
2003 Connecticut (37-1) Geno Auriemma 73-68 Tennessee Atlanta, Ga.
2002 Connecticut (39-0) Geno Auriemma 82-70 Oklahoma San Antonio, Texas
2001 Notre Dame (34-2) Muffet McGraw 68-66 Purdue St. Louis, Mo.
2000 Connecticut (36-1) Geno Auriemma 71-52 Tennessee Philadelphia, Pa.
1999 Purdue (34-1) Carolyn Peck 62-45 Duke San Jose, Calif.
1998 Tennessee (39-0) Pat Summitt 93-75 Louisiana Tech Kansas City, Mo.
1997 Tennessee (29-10) Pat Summitt 68-59 Old Dominion Cincinnati, Ohio
1996 Tennessee (32-4) Pat Summitt 83-65 Georgia Charlotte, N.C.
1995 Connecticut (35-0) Geno Auriemma 70-64 Tennessee Minneapolis, Minn.
1994 North Carolina (33-2) Sylvia Hatchell 60-59 Louisiana Tech Richmond, Va.
1993 Texas Tech (31-3) Marsha Sharp 84-82 Ohio State Atlanta, Ga.
1992 Stanford (30-3) Tara VanDerveer 78-62 Western Kentucky Los Angeles, Calif.
1991 Tennessee (30-5) Pat Summitt 70-67 (OT) Virginia New Orleans, La.
1990 Stanford (32-1) Tara VanDerveer 88-81 Auburn Knoxville, Tenn.
1989 Tennessee (35-2) Pat Summitt 76-60 Auburn Tacoma, Wash.
1988 Louisiana Tech (32-2) Leon Barmore 56-54 Auburn Tacoma, Wash.
1987 Tennessee (28-6) Pat Summitt 67-44 Louisiana Tech Austin, Texas
1986 Texas (34-0) Jody Conradt 97-81 Southern California Lexington, Ky.
1985 Old Dominion (31-3) Marianne Stanley 70-65 Georgia Austin, Texas
1984 Southern California (29-4) Linda Sharp 72-61 Tennessee Los Angeles, Calif.
1983 Southern California (31-2) Linda Sharp 69-67 Louisiana Tech Norfolk, Va.
1982 Louisiana Tech (35-1) Sonja Hogg 76-62 Cheyney Norfolk, Va.

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