The Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament, currently promoted as Hoops in the Heartland, is an annual basketball tournament which features the women's basketball teams of each of the Missouri Valley Conference member universities. The tournament determines which MVC team receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.
First held at the end of the 1982–83 basketball season, the tournament was originally conducted by the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference, a women's sports conference formed in that school year by six MVC members plus four members of what is now known as the Summit League. In 1985, the Gateway took on football as its only men's sport. Following the 1991–92 school year, the MVC absorbed the women's side of the Gateway (which by that time had eight MVC members) and spun off its football side into what is now the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The MVC maintains all historic records of Gateway women's sports.
Tournament champions by year Year Champion Score Runner-up Tournament MVP Location1983Illinois State62–54Southern IllinoisNone SelectedHorton Field House • Normal, Illinois1984Not Held198519861987Southern Illinois53–51Eastern IllinoisNone SelectedSIU Arena • Carbondale, Illinois1988Eastern Illinois80–79Illinois StateNone SelectedHorton Field House • Normal, Illinois1989Illinois State70–53Southern IllinoisNone Selected1990Southern Illinois71–54Illinois StateAmy Rakers, Southern IllinoisSIU Arena • Carbondale, Illinois1991Southwest Missouri State74–61Southern IllinoisNone SelectedHammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri1992Southwest Missouri State86–69Southern IllinoisNone Selected1993Southwest Missouri State54–53Southern IllinoisNone Selected1994Southwest Missouri State88–71CreightonTina Robbins, Southwest Missouri State1995Drake71–68 (OT)Southwest Missouri StateTricia Wakely, Drake1996Southwest Missouri State59–56Illinois StateLaTanya Davis, Southwest Missouri StateRedbird Arena • Normal, Illinois1997Drake78–59Wichita StateKeisha Cox, DrakeHammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri1998Drake73–59Southwest Missouri StateTammi Blackstone, Drake1999Evansville75–72 (OT)CreightonShyla McKibbon, EvansvilleRedbird Arena • Normal, Illinois2000Drake70–67Southwest Missouri StateJackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri StateHammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri2001 Southwest Missouri State84–69DrakeJackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri State2002Creighton77–74DrakeChristy Neneman, Creighton2003Southwest Missouri State64–55Indiana StateKari Koch, Southwest Missouri StateKnapp Center • Des Moines, Iowa2004Southwest Missouri State74–67DrakeJenni Lingor, Missouri StateHammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri2005Illinois State72–70Indiana StateJaci McCormack, Illinois StateRedbird Arena • Normal, Illinois2006Missouri State64–55Indiana StateKari Koch, Missouri StateHammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri2007Drake65–64 (OT)CreightonLindsay Whorton, DrakeKnapp Center • Des Moines, Iowa2008 Illinois State70–62DrakeKristi Cirone, Illinois StateFamily Arena • St. Charles, Missouri2009Evansville47–45CreightonAshley Austin, Evansville2010Northern Iowa54–53CreightonLizzie Boeck, Northern Iowa2011Northern Iowa69–41Missouri State , Northern Iowa2012Creighton53–38Drake , Creighton2013Wichita State69–65Illinois State , Wichita State2014Wichita State73-49Drake , Wichita State2015Wichita State85–71Missouri State , Wichita State2016Missouri State73–49Northern Iowa , Missouri StateiWireless Center • Moline, Illinois2017Drake74–69 (OT)Northern Iowa, Drake2018 Drake 75–63 Northern Iowa , Drake2019 Missouri State 94–79 Drake , Missouri State2020Canceled due to COVID-19 2021 Bradley 78-70 Drake , Bradley TaxSlayer Center • Moline, Illinois 2022 Illinois State 50–48 Northern Iowa , Illinois State 2023 Drake 89–71 Belmont , Drake Vibrant Arena at The MARK • Moline, Illinois2024Drake76–75Missouri State, Drake2025Murray State83–62Belmont, Murray StateFord Center • Evansville, Indiana2026Murray State91-70Evansville, Murray StateXtream Arena • Coralville, Iowa2027Vibrant Arena at The MARK • Moline, Illinois
Tournament championships by school School Championships Last Won Missouri State 11 2019 Drake 9 2024 Illinois State 5 2022 Wichita State 3 2015Murray State 2 2026Creighton 2 2012Northern Iowa 2 2011Evansville 2 2009Southern Illinois 2 1990Bradley 1 2021Eastern Illinois 1 1988 Schools highlighted in pink are former members of the MVC Belmont, Indiana State, UIC, and Valparaiso have never won the MVC Tournament.
See also Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament
References