| Type: | NAIA |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Gender: | Women's |
| Teams: | 32 |
| Fabfourarena: | Oman Arena |
| Fabfourcity: | Jackson, Tennessee |
| Champions: | Southern Nazarene Redskins |
| Titlecount: | 5th |
| Champgamecount: | 5th |
| Champffcount: | 6th |
| Runnerup: | Union (TN) Bulldogs |
| Gamecount: | 2nd |
| Runnerffcount: | 3rd |
| Semifinal1: | Arkansas Tech Golden Suns |
| Fabfourcount1: | 4th |
| Semifinal2: | SW Oklahoma State Bulldogs |
| Fabfourcount2: | 10th |
| Coty: | Craig Wiginton |
| Cotyschool: | Southern Nazarene |
| Mvp: | Astou Ndiaye |
| Mvpteam: | Southern Nazarene |
| Hustle: | Tonna Woolery |
| Hustleschool: | Southern Nazarene |
| Topscorer: | Hazel Taylor |
| Topscorerteam: | Wayland Baptist |
| Points: | 82 |
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.
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.[1]
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.