| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Hammons Student Center Springfield, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Missouri State (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | West Virginia (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists | |||||
| Winning coach | Katie Abrahamson-Henderson (1st title) | ||||
| MVP | Jenny Lingor (Missouri State) | ||||
| Attendance | 8,871 (championship game) | ||||
| Top scorer | Jenny Lingor (Missouri State) (116 points) | ||||
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The 2005 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2005 Women's NCAA tournament. It was the eighth edition of the postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The final four of the tournament paired Missouri State against Iowa and West Virginia against Kentucky. Missouri State upended Iowa 89–80. Meanwhile, West Virginia and Kentucky played a double overtime thriller, which ended up with West Virginia winning 80–75.
The final pitted Missouri State and West Virginia against each other in Springfield, Missouri, as the Lady Bears hosted at the Hammons Student Center. The game was another close one for both teams, with Missouri State ultimately pulling out the victory for their 1st WNIT Championship, 78–70.[1][2]