The 2005 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 19, 2005, and concluded on April 5, 2005, when Baylor was crowned as the new national champion.

The Final Four was held for the first (and last) time at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 3 and 5, 2005, and was hosted by Butler University and the Horizon League.

Future Final Fours will be held every five years in Indianapolis, the NCAA's home city, will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, one block south of the Indiana Convention Center, where the RCA Dome is located.

The single exception was in the Tempe Regional, where second seeded Baylor upset North Carolina to earn a spot at the Final Four.

Not long after, a three-pointer cut the lead to six, and they continued to chip away, reaching the halftime with the score tied at 28.

Tennessee then missed three shots and Michigan State scored the final points of the game to tie the record for the largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history.

The lead ballooned to 23, then Michigan State attempted a comeback, but the Lady Bears were too strong, and went on to win their first national championship 84–62.

[5] So as to decrease the number of games played on a competing team's home court, the subregionals were held at eight locations, rather than 16, for the first time.

[6] The regional winners advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5, 2005 at the RCA Dome, in Indianapolis, Indiana, hosted by both Butler University and the Horizon League.