KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Central Missouri and Washburn will battle for the 2026 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship title at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 8, in Kansas City’s historic Municipal Auditorium. It will be the third time in the championship’s 44-year history that the Jennies and Ichabods meet in the tournament finale.
 
Central Missouri and Washburn survived Saturday’s semifinals to advance to the Association’s postseason championship game. The No. 1-seeded Jennies were the first to advance to the title game with a 60-45 win over No. 4 seed Missouri Southern in the MIAA semifinals. The No. 3-seed Ichabods then claimed a 67-63 win over No. 7 seed Missouri Western to continue their postseason campaign.
 
The Jennies return to the postseason championship game for an MIAA-leading 18th time and the first time since 2023. Central Missouri, the 2025-26 MIAA regular season champion, has won the tournament title eight times, most recently taking home the trophy in 2020. The Jennies’ 22-year Head Coach Dave Slifer has won three MIAA championships – two with Missouri Western in 1997 and 2002, and with Central Missouri in 2020.
 
Washburn will compete in the tournament finale for the 12th time in program history. The Ichabods own the best record in the championship game, having won the title nine times in their 11 total appearances.  They last won the championship in 2012 under former Head Coach Ron McHenry. Washburn’s four-year Head Coach Lora Westling – a former Ichabod women’s basketball player herself – will compete for her first MIAA championship title.
 
The Ichabods have won the past two meetings against the Jennies in the championship game, claiming the title over Central Missouri in 2006 and 2010.
 
Tip-off for the 2026 MIAA women’s championship game is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday. MIAA fans can purchase tickets on site or online at theMIAA.com/Madness. The Municipal Auditorium box office is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. Fans not making the trip to Kansas City can watch the title game live on The MIAA Network, or on live TV on KMCI, 38 The Spot.
 
To view the official tournament schedule, results, and find more information on the 2026 MIAA Basketball Championships in Kansas City, visit theMIAA.com/basketball.