In both championship seasons, the team was led by top point scorers Tiina Paananen, Riikka Sallinen (née Nieminen, previously Villilä), Rose Matilainen, and Kirsi Hänninen, and backstopped by the goaltending of Tuula Puputti.

Other notable players from the JyP HC Naiset/JYP Naiset era include Pirjo Ahonen, Katja Lehto, Riikka Noronen, Sanna Peura, and Hanne Sikiö, among others.

The team, which changed its name from JyHC to the Cats Jyväskylä in 2004, found middling success in the Naisten SM-sarja, never finishing above fourth place or below sixth in the league rankings during the period from 2000 to 2009.

Notable players from the 2000–2009 JyHC/Cats Jyväskylä era include forwards Emmi Leinonen, Niina Mäkinen, Riikka Noronen, Saila Saari, and Anne Tuomanen; defencemen Pirjo Ahonen and Vilma Tarvainen; and goaltenders Anna-Kaisa Lemberg, Tuula Puputti, and Meeri Räisänen.

Over the following several seasons, JYP welcomed a number of elite new players, including Sanni Hakala and Rosa Lindstedt in 2012, IIHF Hall of Fame inductee Riikka Sallinen (née Nieminen, previously Villilä) in 2013, and Tiina Ranne and Marjo Voutilainen in 2014; in addition to Katja Saari assuming the head coaching position in 2013.

JYP qualified for the Aurora Borealis Cup playoff final in every season of Hiirikoski's captaincy but were defeated three consecutive times by the powerhouse Espoo Blues in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

For the 2015–16 season, the club signed even more elite players and iced one of the most skilled rosters in league history, which included Ranne and Räisänen in goal; Hiirikoski, Lindstedt, Emma Ritari, and Ella Viitasuo at the blue line; and Hakala, Sari Kärnä, Tanja Niskanen, Saari, Sallinen, and Voutilainen leading the forward ranks alongside longtime depth players.

JYP Naiset team found consistent success in the Mestis, ranking first in the league twice over the next four seasons and never finishing lower than third.