The 2016–17 SMU Mustangs women's basketball team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mustangs, led by first year head coach Travis Mays, played their home games at Moody Coliseum and were fourth year members of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 19–15, 7–9 in AAC play to finish in a three way tie for fifth place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the American Athletic women's tournament where they lost to South Florida. They received a bid to the Women's National Invitational Tournament where they defeated Louisiana Tech and Abilene Christian in the first and second rounds before losing to Indiana in the third round.