“It was a great opportunity for our program in general and for our team,” said Joe Tartamella, head coach of St. John’s University women’s basketball, after the team’s 85–49 loss to the University of Connecticut at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. “Any time you get a chance to play against the best, you get stretched in many areas and it allows you to continue to teach and try to continue to get better as a team.”
Even a loss has lessons to offer. “Every game we play against them is a test to see where you are,” Tartamella said. “Whatever they show you, you’re probably not going to see [being done] by anybody else. If you’re good enough and fortunate to play in the post-season — that type of strain and stress, people can’t duplicate. I’ve always kind of embraced that in terms of how we try to coach them.”
While the Red Storm were no match for the UConn Huskies, led by Azzi Fudd (14 points), Sarah Strong (11 points, seven rebounds), and Serah Williams (11 points, six rebounds), there was a lot to celebrate. It was the first time St. John’s women’s team had a standalone game at Madison Square Garden, and with 9,612 people in the house, it was a single-game attendance record for the program.
“I feel like it’s a really great thing for our program,” said St. John’s guard Brooke Moore. “So many great players have been through [this arena]. It was very surreal just playing on that court. I’m glad we had the opportunity.”
Despite UConn being the top-ranked team in the country, Moore noted that the St. John’s players still go into every game against the Huskies with a winning mentality. “Coming in there, embracing the challenge and just playing together,” she said.
This game marked the end of regular season play for UConn, which finished 31–0, the Huskies’ first undefeated season since 2018. Playing in Madison Square Garden was special for senior forward Serah Williams, who is from Brooklyn. “Coming here was almost like a homecoming,” Williams said. “It’s a blessing.”
Next up is the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. St. John’s has the sixth seed and starts play on Friday vs. Xavier. UConn has a bye to the quarterfinals and plays on Saturday against the winner of the first-round game, between Georgetown and Butler.