1982 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament
Bids Conference Teams
8 Independent Cheyney , East Carolina , Louisiana Tech , Old Dominion , Oregon , Penn St. , South Carolina , Stephen F. Austin
5 SEC Auburn , Georgia , Kentucky , Ole Miss , Tennessee
3 Western Collegiate Arizona St. , Long Beach St. , Southern California
3 Big Ten Illinois , Northwestern , Ohio St
3 ACC Clemson , Maryland , North Carolina St
2 Big 8 Kansas St. , Missouri
1 SWAC Jackson St
1 Ohio Valley Conference Tennessee Tech
1 Northern California Stanford
1 Missouri Valley Conference Drake
1 MEAC Howard
1 MAC Kent St
1 Metro Memphis
1 MAAC St. Peter 's
Bids by conference
The 1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament was the first Women's Basketball Tournament held under the auspices of the NCAA. From 1972-1982, there were national tournaments for Division I schools held under the auspices of the AIAW. The inaugural NCAA Tournament included 32 teams. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Cheyney, and Maryland met in the Final Four, held at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia and hosted by Old Dominion University, with Louisiana Tech defeating Cheyney for the title, 76-62. Louisiana Tech's Janice Lawrence was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Her teammate Kim Mulkey went on to become the first (and to date only) woman to win NCAA Division I basketball titles as a player and coach, winning the 2005, 2012 and 2019 titles as head coach at Baylor.