At which Winter Olympics did women's ice hockey make its Olympic debut?

Women's ice hockey made its Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.

The inaugural women's tournament featured six teams: Canada, China, Finland, Japan, Sweden and the United States. The United States won the gold medal by defeating Canada 3–1 in the final, while Finland earned bronze after beating China.

Women's ice hockey had developed internationally through world championships and other competitions before receiving Olympic status. Its inclusion in Nagano marked a major expansion of the Winter Olympic programme and created a prominent stage for elite women's teams.

The tournament used a round-robin preliminary phase followed by medal games. Canada and the United States quickly became the leading powers in Olympic women's hockey, continuing a rivalry that has produced many subsequent finals. Women's hockey has remained on the Winter Olympic programme since Nagano.