The Senior Women's One-Day League was the first state-level competition in India since the Senior National Women's Cricket Championship, a combination of List A and first-class competition that concluded in 2002–03. It started in the 2006–07 season. Railways won the first competition, defeating Maharashtra in the final by a margin of seven wickets.

After winning the first five tournaments, Railways went on to dominate the league till Delhi defeated Hyderabad in the final match in 2011–12. But the next season, Railways reclaimed the title and began another strong run that saw them win six straight titles. Bengal defeated Railways in the semi-final and went on to overcome Andhra in the final to win their first national title in 2018–19.

The competition was renamed the Women's Senior One-Day Trophy before the 2019–20 season. The COVID-19 epidemic ultimately forced the season's cancellation of the knockout phases, which prevented the announcement of an overall winner. The competition was held again in 2020–21, with Railways taking home their twelfth championship. They defeated Karnataka in the final match to win their thirteenth title in 2021–2022. In 2022–2023, the same final was played, and Railways emerged victorious once more. In 2023–24, Railways emerged victorious in the tournament after defeating Uttarakhand in the final.

Over the years, the Women's Senior One-Day Trophy has taken on several formats. 24 state teams participated in round-robin groups in five zones (Central, East, North, South, and West) during the first season of 2006–07; the top two teams from each group moved on to the knockout stages. The competition's number of teams increased to 27 the next season when Bengal, Sikkim, and Tripura were added. The structure remained the same, but the groups were significantly expanded.

With Manipur included, the number of teams increased once again to 28 in 2008–09. The structure was also changed; the top two teams from each zone group were now sent to a second group stage, where two "Super Leagues" of five teams each were formed. The winners of both leagues went on to the final match. The next season's structure remained the same, but Sikkim and Manipur were dropped, leaving 26 teams. Up to the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, the structure stayed the same.

The 26 teams were split into an Elite Group and a Plate Group for the 2013–14 season, and subsequently into Elite Groups A and B and Plate Groups A, B, and C. The top two players from each Plate Group advanced to the knockout stage, where the two winners competed for the Plate Group championship and were promoted to the Elite Group for the upcoming season. The top two clubs from each Elite Group then competed in a four-team Super League, with the victorious team being named the tournament champion. The sole change to the format was the addition of Chhattisgarh before the 2016–17 season, which lasted until the end of the 2017–18 season.

Nine teams were added to the league before the 2018–19 season: Manipur and Sikkim were back, along with newly joined Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Bihar, Pondicherry, and Uttarakhand. With the 10 new teams participating in the Plate Group and the 27 existing teams competing in three Elite Groups (eight of which advanced to the knockout stages) with the winner advancing to the Elite Group for the next season, the structure was also altered. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the knockout stages to be canceled, but the structure was kept for the 2019–20 season (with Chandigarh included).

Three teams from the Plate Group from the previous season were promoted as a result of format changes for the 2020–21 season, which were partially brought about by COVID-19 steps. After that, the 30 teams in the Elite Group were split up into 5 groups of 6, and there was also a Plate Group consisting of 7 teams. The top two teams from each group advanced directly to the knockout stages, while the third-place team faced off against the Plate Group winner for the last quarterfinal slot. For the 2021–2022 season, there were minor changes to the format: the winners of the Plate Group and the top two sides from each Elite Group advanced to the knockout stages.

While the other six teams competed in the pre-quarterfinals, the champions of each Elite Group advanced directly to the quarterfinals. For the 2022–23 season, the structure was changed once again. All teams were split into five groups, and the winners of each group advanced straight to the quarterfinals, while the runners-up and best third-place teams advanced to the pre-quarterfinals. The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout rounds in 2023–2024.

50 overs per side are used in one-day formats for matches. Teams gained four points for a win, two for a draw, no result or abandonment, and zero for a defeat in the most current edition of the competition. Points, wins, head-to-head record, and net run rate were the order in which the tables were arranged.

In recent years, the Women’s One-Day Trophy has undergone significant transformations that have elevated its status within the cricketing community. The 2021-2022 season marked a financial milestone when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 40% increase in player match fees, aiming to narrow the pay disparity between male and female cricketers. This move attracted prominent sponsors like HDFC Bank and Puma, who previously had been more involved with men's cricket, signaling a shift in corporate investment towards supporting women's sports.

Culturally and socially, the tournament has seen a surge in popularity. The 2022-2023 edition witnessed record-breaking attendance, with over 25,000 fans filling the stands during the finals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, a stark contrast to the modest crowds of earlier years. This spike in interest was partly due to enhanced broadcasting deals; Star Sports expanded its coverage to include all knockout stage matches, while Disney+ Hotstar provided live streaming with multilingual commentary, catering to a diverse Indian audience. Additionally, the BCCI implemented legal reforms to ensure equal access to training facilities and medical support for female players, addressing long-standing issues of inequality. These cumulative efforts have not only enriched the competitive landscape but also fostered a more inclusive environment for women's cricket in India.