The James Madison Dukes women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Sun Belt Conference after previously playing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Dukes are led by ninth-year head coach Sean O'Regan.

The Dukes have appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament thirteen times, most recently in 2023. Including Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) berths, the Dukes played in a post-season tournament each season from 2006 through 2019.

History James Madison's women's basketball program is among the oldest in the nation, having been founded in 1920. The program's first coach, Althea Loose Johnston, coached the team to a 106-33-5 record during her 22-year career. Through the end of the 2022–23 season, the Dukes have compiled a record of 1200-585 (.672), the fourth most wins among all Division I programs, and one of only four with over 1,200 wins.

In the 1986 and 1991 NCAA women's tournaments, they upset the #1 seed (Virginia in the former and Penn State in the latter) while ranked #8 (the lowest seed at the time), being the first team to ever do that on the women's side (the size of the tournament for the former was 40 while the latter had 48 teams). They are one of only three schools to upset a #1 seed while ranked as the lowest seed (the other being Southwest Missouri State in 1992 and Harvard in 1998). They have made the NCAA Tournament in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2023. They have made the WNIT in 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2019, finishing as runner-up in 2012.

Postseason results

NCAA Division I The Dukes have appeared in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament fourteen times. Their overall record in tournament games is 8–14.

1986 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen #8 ProvidenceVirginiaWestern Kentucky W 55–53W 71–62L 72–51 1987 Second RoundSweet Sixteen #4 VanderbiltTexas W 68–60L 91–51 1988 Second RoundSweet Sixteen #4 ClemsonTennessee W 70–63L 72–52 1989 First RoundSecond Round #6 ProvidenceOhio State W 94–74L 81–66 1991 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen #8 KentuckyPenn StateClemson W 70–62W 73–71L 57–55 1996 First Round #13 Duke L 85–53 2007 First Round #9 Pittsburgh L 71–61 2010 First Round #9 Temple L 65–53 2011 First Round #11 Oklahoma L 86–72 2014 First RoundSecond Round #11 GonzagaTexas A&M W 72–63L 85–69 2015 First Round #12 Ohio State L 90–80 2016 First Round #11 DePaul L 97–67 2023 First Round #14 Ohio State L 80–66 2026 First Round #12 Kentucky L 56–71

WNIT The Dukes have appeared in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) nine times. They have an overall tournament record of 22–9. In the 2012 tournament, the Dukes finished as runners-up to Oklahoma State.

2001 First RoundSecond RoundThird RoundQuarterfinals TempleGeorgetownMississippi StateOhio State W 59–57W 78–74W 63–61L 74–65 2006 First Round Charlotte L 70–62 2008 First RoundSecond RoundThird Round RadfordIndianaKentucky W 80–58W 86–81OTL 84–76 2009 First RoundSecond Round AmericanRichmond W 61–59L 59–57 2012 First RoundSecond RoundThird RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship DavidsonWake ForestSouth FloridaVirginiaSyracuseOklahoma State W 64–49W 84–76OTW 72–45W 68–59W 74–71L 75–68 2013 First RoundSecond RoundThird RoundQuarterfinals North Carolina A&TNC StateFordhamFlorida W 77–64W 72–66W 77–61L 85–80 2017 First RoundSecond RoundThird Round RadfordVirginiaVillanova W 80–59W 61–55L 69–67OT 2018 First RoundSecond RoundThird Round ETSURadfordWest Virginia W 60–52W 62–35L 67–55 2019 First RoundSecond RoundThird RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals North Carolina A&TSouth FloridaVirginia TechGeorgetownNorthwestern W 48–37W 71–54W 70–66W 54–44L 74–69

WBIT The Dukes have appeared in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) two times. They have an overall tournament record of 2–2.

2024 First Round Stony Brook L 81–70 2025 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals DavidsonMarquetteBelmont W 77–50W 80–76OTL 90–45

AIAW Division I The Dukes, then the Madison College Dukes, made one appearance in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 0–2.

1975 First RoundConsolation First Round Queens (NY)William Penn L, 50–83L, 40–76

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