Founded by Colin Stoner, John Van Sittert, and Mindy White, the Tribe began as a member of the Independent Women's Football League and was their return to the Kansas City market after the Kansas City Storm left for the NWFA.

In the storm-heavy first-round game against the Los Angeles Amazons, the Tribe was trailing 14-6 late in the fourth quarter; however, late heroics would give them the 19–14 win, paving the way for the Western Conference title game against division rival Chicago Force (at whose hands the Tribe endured its only defeat of the regular season).

The Tribe won the IWFL Tier I World Championship on July 25, defeating the previously unbeaten Eastern Conference champion D.C. Divas, 21–18, at Round Rock ISD Athletic Stadium in Round Rock, Texas (a suburb of Austin).

In the Tribe's first WFA season, they finished 7–1, good for the Midwest Division title and a return trip to the playoffs.

After defeating the Minnesota Machine 51–0 in the first round, the Tribe fell to the Dallas Diamonds 20–23 in an epic battle decided in overtime.