The Golden Flashes compete in the Mid-American Conference and last played in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament in 2024.

This basic setup continued through the 1960s in various forms with both women's physical education and intramural sports housed at Wills Gymnasium, the school's original gym.

The Flashes were seeded eighth in the 32-team field, falling to top-seed Southern California in the opening round.

Wartluft led the team to three consecutive 20-win seasons from 1978–79 through 1980–81 and their first NCAA tournament appearance, but was unable to finish higher than seventh in the MAC after a tie for third place in 1982.

Kent State also made four NCAA appearances, had one WNIT bid, and played in seven consecutive MAC tournament championship games during Lindsay's tenure.

The team advanced to the NCAA tournament as a 14th seed, falling at Kansas State in the opening round.

The 2003–04 team finished 19–10 overall and made the program's first appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), where they were defeated at St. Joseph's.

Athletic director Joel Nielsen stated that the decision to not renew Lindsay's contract was not based on the results of the 2011–12 season, but did not specify details beyond saying he reviewed the "entire body of work.

[2][3] Kent State announced the hiring of Danielle O'Banion as head coach on April 18, 2012, under a four-year deal.

[11] In his first season as head coach, Todd Starkey led the team to a 19–13 overall record and 13–5 in conference play to win the MAC East division title, the program's first since 2005.

The season ended with a loss in the opening round of the WNIT, Kent State's first post-season appearance since 2011.

Senior Larissa Lurken was named MAC Player of the Year, the program's sixth recipient of the award and first since 2006.

[12] Kent State has won four Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament titles, winning in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2024.

The arena features a parquet floor and a central hanging scoreboard along with two video boards in opposite corners.

During the 1977 season, as part of the university complying with the requirements of Title IX, five of the seven scheduled home games were held at the MAC Center, then known as Memorial Gymnasium, with the remaining two at Wills.

[16] The first game played by the team in the MAC Center was on January 12, 1977, a season-opening 49–46 loss to Cleveland State.

[19] Beginning in the 1977–78 season, all home games were moved to the MAC Center, which received its current name in 1992 following an extensive renovation.

The record for largest crowd for a Kent State women's basketball game is 3,516, set on February 23, 2006 against the Miami RedHawks.

Akron won at James A. Rhodes Arena in 1998 to end a 15-game Kent State winning streak in the series that began in 1989.

Akron won for the first time in the MAC Center since 1988 with a 77–71 win in 2013, ending a 20-game losing streak in the building.

The win also marked the first time the Zips not only won consecutive games, but also swept the season meetings in the series.

Kent State has played Toledo in the Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament championship game seven times, the first in 1992 and then again for six consecutive seasons from 1996 through 2001.

Kent State leads the series with YSU 32–14 following a 68–59 KSU win at Youngstown in the opening round of the 2022 Women's National Invitation Tournament.