It determined the champion of the 1988–89 NCAA Division I women's basketball season and was contested by the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
It was the first time an NCAA women's championship game featured a matchup between two teams from the same conference.
1 seed in the Mideast region of the NCAA tournament, the Lady Tigers defeated Temple, No.
1 in the AP poll and spent the entirety of the season inside the top 3.
After losing at Auburn during the regular season, Tennessee avenged the loss in the SEC championship game.
In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee easily defeated La Salle, No.
7 Long Beach State to reach the sixth NCAA Final Four in program history.