Niagara began play in 1974. They joined the MAAC in 1989. They have never made the NCAA tournament. Their brief achievements came in regional AIAWs, such as winning the New York AIAW championship in 1978 and 1980 and the Eastern AIAW in 1979, with a third-place finish in the AIAW Small College tournament. They made it to the ECAC North title game in 1986, losing to St. Anselm's 77–65 and losing to Saint Peter's 66–38 in the 1997 MAAC title game. They have reached the second round of the MAAC tournament numerous times but have never won it. As of the end of the 2015–16 season, the Purple Eagles have an all-time record of 456–575. In 2023 Niagara made history by reaching the WNIT tournament for the first time in program history.[2] The Purple Eagles ultimately fell to Green Bay in their first appearance in the tournament,[2] ending one of the best seasons in the history of Niagara women's basketball.[3]