The 1997-98 Lady Hornets were the first Emporia State athletic team to play for an NCAA Division II National Championship as they went 33-1 on the season. They were undefeated in the regular season and led the nation in scoring at 91.3 points per game and scoring margin at +29.3 points per game. They went 18-0 in White Auditorium to start an MIAA record 62 game home court winning streak. The Lady Hornets captured the hearts of the Emporia community setting a then school record average of 2,233 fans per game. The team had four players that would go on to earn first-team All-American honors and end their careers with at least 1,000 points.