The 1997 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse tournament was the 16th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I women's college lacrosse. The tournament field consisted of 12 teams. Games were played at campus sites, with the final held at Homewood Field in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 18, 1997.
The University of Maryland defeated Loyola University Maryland by a score of 8–7 to win the championship. This was Maryland's sixth NCAA title and their first since 1986. The Terrapins finished the season with a 19–2 record under head coach Cindy Timchal.
Loyola (MD) made its first appearance in the championship game, finishing the season 16–3 under head coach Diane Geppi-Aikens.
Maryland's Kelly Amonte was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The tournament's leading scorers were Amonte (Maryland) and Jen Adams (Maryland), each with 12 points (goals plus assists) over the course of the tournament.
