1997 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament

The 1997 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament was the tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of women's college basketball among its Division I members in the United States and Canada for the 1996–97 basketball season.

1997 (1997) NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Oman Arena Jackson, Tennessee
Champions	Southern Nazarene Redskins (5th title, 5th title game, 6th Fab Four)
Runner-up	Union (TN) Bulldogs (2nd title game, 3rd Fab Four)
Semifinalists	Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (4th Fab Four) SW Oklahoma State Bulldogs (10th Fab Four)
Coach of the year	Craig Wiginton (Southern Nazarene)
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Tonna Woolery (Southern Nazarene)
Chuck Taylor MVP	Astou Ndiaye (Southern Nazarene)
Top scorer	Hazel Taylor (Wayland Baptist) (82 points)
NAIA Division I women's tournaments «1996 1998»

Three-time defending champions Southern Nazarene defeated Union (TN) in the championship game, 78–73, to claim the Redskins' fifth NAIA national title.

The tournament was played at the Oman Arena in Jackson, Tennessee.

Qualification

See also: 1996–97 NAIA Division I women's basketball season

The tournament field remained fixed at thirty-two teams, with the top sixteen teams receiving seeds.

The tournament continued to utilize a simple single-elimination format.

Bracket

	First round					Second round					Elite Eight					Final Four					National championship
	1	Arkansas Tech	89**
		Tougaloo	79
						1	Arkansas Tech	73
						16	Lipscomb	49
		St. Mary's (TX)	72
	16	Lipscomb	86
											1	Arkansas Tech	60
											9	Wayland Baptist	59
	9	Wayland Baptist	90
		Transylvania	72
						9	Wayland Baptist	66
						8	Lewis–Clark State	65
		Concordia Irvine	68
	8	Lewis–Clark State	90
																1	Arkansas Tech	58
																4	Southern Nazarene	61
	5	Central State (OH)	91
		Indiana–South Bend	55
						5	Central State (OH)	80
							Mary Hardin-Baylor	63
		Mary Hardin-Baylor	71
	12	Montana State Northern	62
											5	Central State	61
											4	Southern Nazarene	80
	13	East Central (OK)	68
		Freed–Hardeman	76
							Freed–Hardeman	70
						4	Southern Nazarene	77
		Voorhees	53
	4	Southern Nazarene	92
																					4	Southern Nazarene	78
																					3	Union (TN)	73
	3	Union (TN)	87
		Daemen	53
						3	Union (TN)	69
						14	SE Oklahoma State	67
		Auburn Montgomery	66
	14	SE Oklahoma State	78
											3	Union (TN)	82
											6	Oklahoma Baptist	69
	11	Xavier Louisiana	77
		LeTourneau	52
						11	Xavier Louisiana	63
						6	Oklahoma Baptist	71
		North Georgia	78
	6	Oklahoma Baptist	104
																3	Union (TN)	68
																7	SW Oklahoma State	69
	7	SW Oklahoma State	85
		Rio Grande	55
						7	SW Oklahoma State	57
						10	Harding	56
		Claflin	64
	10	Harding	66
											7	SW Oklahoma State	73
											2	Simon Fraser	69
	15	Campbellsville	75
		Oklahoma Christian	72
						15	Campbellsville	44
						2	Simon Fraser	71
		Hannibal–LaGrange	35
	2	Simon Fraser	71

See also

• 1997 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1997 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 1997 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 1997 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
• 1997 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament