KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced the seed and pairings for the 2024 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship, presented by Southern Bank. First-round women’s games tip-off at noon on Wednesday, March 6 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.
 
The 2023-24 MIAA women’s basketball season came to a close on Saturday, March 2. The top ten teams in the league will travel to Kansas City this week to compete in the MIAA’s 21st Basketball Championships in Municipal Auditorium.
 
Ending the season on a 14-game winnings streak, Missouri Western clinched the regular season crown with an MIAA record of 19-3 and 24-4 overall. The title is the Griffons’ first regular season championship since the 2015-16 season and seven in program history. It is also the first for fifth-year Head Coach Candi Whitaker.
 
With a first-round bye in the MIAA tournament, the Griffons will play their first postseason game at noon on Thursday, March 7. They will take on the winner of the championship’s opening game against the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds.
 
The No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the MIAA tournament were up for grabs to begin the final day of regular season competition. Fort Hays State, Missouri Southern and Northwest Missouri each ended the year with a 16-6 MIAA record, but it was the Bearcats who claimed the No. 2 seed by the Association’s tiebreaker protocol.
 
Northwest Missouri finished the year 16-6 in the league and 22-6 overall. The Bearcats will play their first game of the tournament at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday against the winner of No. 7 and No. 10 seeds.
 
Fort Hays State will be the No. 3 seed with an MIAA record of 16-6 and 22-6 overall. The Tigers will take on No. 6 seed Central Missouri at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, March 8. The Jennies ended their 2023-24 campaign with a 15-7 finish in the league and went 21-7 overall.
 
Missouri Southern enters the postseason as the No. 4 seed after going 16-6 in the MIAA and 20-8 overall this season. The Lions take on No. 5-seeded Pittsburg State at noon on Friday. After finishing 15-7 in the league, the Gorillas claimed the No. 5 seed over Central Missouri. Pitt State ended the regular season 21-7 overall.
 
Nebraska Kearney returned to the MIAA championships as the No. 7 seed this year. The Lopers finished with an MIAA record of 12-10 and went 18-10 overall. Nebraska Kearney will take on the Ichabods Wednesday, March 6 at 2:15 p.m. Washburn clinched the final seed in the MIAA tournament after going 8-14 against conference opponents this season.
 
The league had another tie for eighth in the final women’s standings. Northeastern State will be the No. 8 seed over No. 9 seed Emporia State due to MIAA tiebreaker protocol. Both the RiverHawks and the Hornets went 10-12 in the league while Northeastern State finished 14-14 overall and Emporia went 13-15 overall. The RiverHawks and Hornets will face off in the first match-up of the championship, set for noon on Wednesday.

Below is the official bracket for the women's postseason tournament. 

MIAA fans can still take advantage of discounted all-session passes for the 2024 tournament by visiting MIAA campus box offices. All-session passes are just $60 when purchased through an institution's athletic department but will be $85 at Municipal Auditorium's box office. 

To view the complete schedule and find more information on the 2024 MIAA Basketball Championships in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium March 6-10, visit TheMIAA.com/MIAAmadness.