The school's team competes in the Big Sky Conference, and plays its games in the Viking Pavilion, a 3,094-seat arena that opened for the 2018–19 season.

Portland State began play in 1975, and have qualified for the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament twice, in 2010 and 2019.

In the 2019 Big Sky Championship game, Portland State defeated arch rivals Eastern Washington University 61–59.

Prior to joining the Big Sky, Portland State women's basketball played in NCAA Div.

They went to the Final Four after beating Alaska Anchorage 101–76, UC Davis 83–56, and Saint Joseph's (IN) 83–62, but lost to North Dakota State 93–59 in the semifinals.