The Southland Conference's Women’s Basketball Tournament began in 1983, with the winner of the tournament receiving the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. There was no tournament from 1984-1987, but in 1988 the season-ending tradition returned for good, with a format much as in the men's tournament, with opening rounds at the home court of the higher seed, and a designated location thereafter.

Starting in 2007, both the men's and women's tournaments were played at the same neutral site, for all rounds.

The tournament was held at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas from 2008 to 2022. Starting in 2023, the event moved to The Legacy Center on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reportedly as part of a deal that kept McNeese in the Southland after it had been courted by Conference USA and nearly joined the Western Athletic Conference. An extension to 2029 for The Legacy Center to serve as the basketball tournament venue was announced on August 29, 2023.

Tournament results Year Champion Score Runner-up Tournament MVP Location1983 Northeast Louisiana 94–81 McNeese State Eun Jung Lee, Northeast Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana1984 No Tournament Held.1985 1986 1987 1988 Stephen F. Austin 92–85 Northeast Louisiana Mozell Brooks, Stephen F. Austin Nacogdoches, Texas1989 Stephen F. Austin 82–73 Northwestern State Portia Hill, Stephen F. Austin 1990 Stephen F. Austin 93–83 Northwestern State Pam Hudson, Northwestern State 1991 Stephen F. Austin 70–58 Northeast Louisiana Stacey Jackson, Stephen F. Austin 1992 Stephen F. Austin 77–58 Northwestern State Lori Davis, Stephen F. Austin 1993 Stephen F. Austin 77–75 Northwestern State Deneen Parker, Stephen F. Austin campus sites, final played in Nacogdoches, TX1994 Stephen F. Austin 73–65 Northeast Louisiana Trenia Tillis, Stephen F. Austin Nacogdoches, TX1995 Stephen F. Austin 68–60 Northwestern State Latonia Bonnett, Stephen F. Austin campus sites, final played in Shreveport, Louisiana1996 Stephen F. Austin 76–58 Texas State Latonia Bonnett, Stephen F. Austin Shreveport, LA1997 Texas State 77–65 Stephen F. Austin Jerri Cooper, Texas State 1998 Stephen F. Austin 84–52 Northeast Louisiana Katrina Price, Stephen F. Austin 1999 Stephen F. Austin 90–77 Northwestern State Anitra Davis, Stephen F. Austin 2000 Stephen F. Austin 79–68 Northwestern State Shawnta Johnson, Stephen F. Austin campus sites, final played in Shreveport, LA2001 Stephen F. Austin 82–73 Northwestern State Latisha Prater, Stephen F. Austin campus sites, final played in Bossier City, Louisiana2002 Stephen F. Austin 76–52 Northwestern State Amy Collins, Stephen F. Austin campus sites, final played in Nacogdoches, TX2003 Texas State 68–56 Texas–San Antonio Tori Talbert, Texas State campus sites, final played in San Antonio, Texas2004 Northwestern State 78–71 Texas–Arlington Tori Talbert, Texas State campus sites, final played in Natchitoches, Louisiana2005 Texas–Arlington 69–54 Louisiana-Monroe Terra Wallace, Texas-Arlington campus sites, final played in Monroe, Louisiana2006 Stephen F. Austin 56–48 Texas–San Antonio LaToya Mills, Stephen F. Austin campus sites, final played in Nacogdoches, Texas2007 Texas-Arlington 68–47 Stephen F. Austin Terra Wallace, Texas-Arlington Campbell Center, Houston, TX 2008 Texas–San Antonio 65–56 Lamar Monica Gibbs, Texas–San Antonio Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, TX 2009 Texas–San Antonio 74–63 Texas–Arlington Onika Anderson, Texas–San Antonio 2010 Lamar 86–59 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Darika Hill, Lamar 2011 McNeese State 71–50 Central Arkansas Ashlyn Baggett, McNeese 2012 McNeese State 60–56 Stephen F. Austin Caitlyn Baggett, McNeese 2013 Oral Roberts 72–66 Sam Houston State Kevi Luper, Oral Roberts 2014 Northwestern State 62–44 Stephen F. Austin Trudy Armstead, Northwestern State 2015 Northwestern State 58–50 Houston Baptist Beatrice Attura, Northwestern State 2016 Central Arkansas 69–62 Sam Houston State Angela Beadle, Sam Houston State 2017 Central Arkansas 60–30 Stephen F. Austin Maggie Proffitt, Central Arkansas 2018 Nicholls State 69–65 Stephen F. Austin Cassidy Barrios, Nicholls 2019 Abilene Christian 69–68 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Breanna Wright, Abilene Christian 2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 56–45 Sam Houston Aaliyah Johnson, Stephen F. Austin Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, TX 2022 Incarnate Word 56–52OT Southeastern Louisiana Tiana Gardner, Incarnate Word 2023 Southeastern Louisiana 66–57 Lamar Hailey Giaratano, Southeastern Louisiana The Legacy Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana 2024 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 68–61 Lamar Paige Allen, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 2025 Stephen F. Austin 65–57 Southeastern Louisiana Trinity Moore, Stephen F. Austin 2026 Stephen F. Austin 71-59 McNeese Myka Perry, Stephen F. Austin 2027 2028 2029

Performance by school School Championships Championship Years Stephen F. Austin 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2021, 2025, 2026 Northwestern State 2004, 2014, 2015 Texas State 1997, 2003 UT Arlington 2005, 2007 UTSA 2008, 2009 McNeese 2011, 2012 Central Arkansas 2016, 2017 Louisiana–Monroe 1983 Lamar 2010 Oral Roberts 2013 Nicholls 2018 Abilene Christian 2019 Incarnate Word 2022 Southeastern Louisiana 2023 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 2024 UTRGV East Texas A&M Houston Christian New Orleans TOTAL

In 2024-25, UTRGV first joined the Southland and Stephen F. Austin returned to the SLC after a three-season absence. Schools highlighted in pink are former members of the Southland

See also Southland Conference men's basketball tournament

Notes

References