Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament explained
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 | MVP | Location |
|---|
| 1983 | Illinois State | 62–54 | Southern Illinois | None Selected | Horton Field House • Normal, Illinois |
| 1984 | Not Held |
| 1985 |
| 1986 |
| 1987 | Southern Illinois | 53–51 | Eastern Illinois | None Selected | SIU Arena • Carbondale, Illinois |
| 1988 | Eastern Illinois | 80–79 | Illinois State | None Selected | Horton Field House • Normal, Illinois |
| 1989 | Illinois State | 70–53 | Southern Illinois | None Selected |
| 1990 | Southern Illinois | 71–54 | Illinois State | Amy Rakers, Southern Illinois | SIU Arena • Carbondale, Illinois |
| 1991 | Southwest Missouri State | 74–61 | Southern Illinois | None Selected | Hammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri |
| 1992 | Southwest Missouri State | 86–69 | Southern Illinois | None Selected |
| 1993 | Southwest Missouri State | 54–53 | Southern Illinois | None Selected |
| 1994 | Southwest Missouri State | 88–71 | Creighton | Tina Robbins, Southwest Missouri State |
| 1995 | Drake | 71–68 (OT) | Southwest Missouri State | Tricia Wakely, Drake |
| 1996 | Southwest Missouri State | 59–56 | Illinois State | LaTanya Davis, Southwest Missouri State | Redbird Arena • Normal, Illinois |
| 1997 | Drake | 78–59 | Wichita State | Keisha Cox, Drake | Hammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri |
| 1998 | Drake | 73–59 | Southwest Missouri State | Tammi Blackstone, Drake |
| 1999 | Evansville | 75–72 (OT) | Creighton | Shyla McKibbon, Evansville | Redbird Arena • Normal, Illinois |
| 2000 | Drake | 70–67 | Southwest Missouri State | Jackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri State | Hammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri |
| 2001 | Southwest Missouri State | 84–69 | Drake | Jackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri State |
| 2002 | Creighton | 77–74 | Drake | Christy Neneman, Creighton |
| 2003 | Southwest Missouri State | 64–55 | Indiana State | Kari Koch, Southwest Missouri State | Knapp Center • Des Moines, Iowa |
| 2004 | Southwest Missouri State | 74–67 | Drake | Jenni Lingor, Missouri State | Hammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri |
| 2005 | Illinois State | 72–70 | Indiana State | Jaci McCormack, Illinois State | Redbird Arena • Normal, Illinois |
| 2006 | Missouri State | 64–55 | Indiana State | Kari Koch, Missouri State | Hammons Student Center • Springfield, Missouri |
| 2007 | Drake | 65–64 (OT) | Creighton | Lindsay Whorton, Drake | Knapp Center • Des Moines, Iowa |
| 2008 | Illinois State | 70–62 | Drake | Kristi Cirone, Illinois State | Family Arena • St. Charles, Missouri |
| 2009 | Evansville | 47–45 | Creighton | Ashley Austin, Evansville |
| 2010 | Northern Iowa | 54–53 | Creighton | Lizzie Boeck, Northern Iowa |
| 2011 | Northern Iowa | 69–41 | Missouri State | , Northern Iowa |
| 2012 | Creighton | 53–38 | Drake | , Creighton |
| 2013 | Wichita State | 69–65 | Illinois State | , Wichita State |
| 2014 | Wichita State | 73-49 | Drake | , Wichita State |
| 2015 | Wichita State | 85–71 | Missouri State | , Wichita State |
| 2016 | Missouri State | 73–49 | Northern Iowa | , Missouri State | iWireless Center • Moline, Illinois |
| 2017 | Drake | 74–69 (OT)[1] | Northern Iowa | , Drake |
| 2018 | Drake | 75–63[2] | Northern Iowa | , Drake |
| 2019 | Missouri State | 94–79[3] | Drake | , Missouri State |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Bradley | 78-70[4] | Drake | , Bradley | TaxSlayer Center • Moline, Illinois |
| 2022 | Illinois State | 50–48[5] | Northern Iowa | , Illinois State |
| 2023 | Drake | 89–71[6] | Belmont | , Drake | Vibrant Arena at The MARK • Moline, Illinois |
| 2024 | Drake | 76–75[7] | Missouri State | , Drake | |
Tournament championships by school
- †Former member of the MVC
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: WBB Tournament Championship: Drake 74, UNI 69 (OT) . http://web.archive.org/web/20170316115320/https://mvc-sports.com/wbasketball/news/2016-17/9446/wbb-tournament-drake-74-uni-69-ot/#.WMXAufIcBVo . 16 March 2017 . The Valley (Missouri Valley Conference) . 12 March 2017.
- Web site: WBB Tournament Championship: Drake 75, UNI 63 . Missouri Valley Conference . March 11, 2018 . February 27, 2019.
- Web site: Lady Bears Capture 11th MVC Tourney Title with 94-79 Win Over No. 21 Drake . Missouri Valley Conference . March 17, 2018 . March 17, 2019.
- Web site: Valley Champs Set to Dance . Bradley University . March 14, 2021 . March 18, 2021.
- Illinois State Claims MVC WBB Tournament Title with 50-48 Win Over UNI . Missouri Valley Conference . March 13, 2022 . March 22, 2022.
- MVC Hoops in the Heartland Championship - Drake 89, Belmont 71 . Missouri Valley Conference . March 12, 2023 . September 9, 2023.
- Web site: 2024-03-17 . Drake Punches Its Ticket to NCAA Tournament . 2024-03-29 . Missouri Valley Conference . en.
