Scott Forrest’s team finished behind Fiji in their second chance of a medal match, losing 21-12 to finish fourth.
That equals the performance of the men’s team, who lost the bronze play-off to Argentina, and mirrors their finish in Rio five years ago.
After a disappointing semi-final showing against France, the British women were improved against Fiji who only narrowly lost their own semi-final to New Zealand
Despite the improvement Fiji stretched into a 14-0 lead before Megan Jones pulled a try back for the Brits before half-time.
The nine-point gulf returned in the second half when Fiji edged another try ahead after a tighter second period, but the deficit was reduced again by Jones and Natasha Hunt’s conversion.
New Zealand took gold with a 26-12 win in the final against France having finished runners-up in Rio 2016.