St. John’s to Begin 2025-26 Campaign against Le Moyne

Monday, November 3

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

Le Moyne

Buy Tickets

The St. John's women's basketball team fell in the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinal on Saturday to No. 3/3 UConn, 71-40

St. John’s to Begin 2025-26 Campaign against Le Moyne

11/2/2025 11:25:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Buy Tickets Watch (ESPN+)Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

Red Storm have won its last eight home openers

    QUEENS, N.Y. (Nov. 2, 2025) – The St. John's Women's Basketball program will kick-off the 2025-26 campaign on Monday afternoon when it hosts Le Moyne for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Carnesecca Arena.

    Monday's season opener will be streamed on ESPN+ with Johnny Gadamowitz and Kevin Connelly on the call from Queens. Live stats will be available on RedStormSports.com.

    To purchase tickets for tomorrow's opener click here, visit RedStormTix.com, call 1-888-GO-STORM or e-mail redstormsports@stjohns.edu. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a team schedule poster.

    The first 500 students at the season opener will receive a free pair of JLAB Headphones in honor of Derek "DJ" Southerland. The giveaway is a tribute Southerland, a St. John's double alumnus and super fan who sported a pair of headphones at every sporting event he attended. Southerland tragically passed away at the age of 29 in April and his memory will be honored with a moment of silence before tip-off on Monday.

    Head Coach Joe Tartamella enters his 14th season leading the program as the head coach and 24th overall with the Red Storm. Tartamella carries a 239-173 (.581) overall record in the 2025-26 campaign and has qualified for four NCAA Tournaments, logged nine top-five BIG EAST finishes, eight postseason appearances and a 2016 BIG EAST Tournament Championship in 13 completed seasons.

            Tartamella returns six players from last year's squad as the Red Storm recorded its third straight winning season and a 10-1 mark in non-conference play. The Johnnies welcome back three of their top-five scorers from last season in returning seniors- Jailah Donald (6.1 PPG), Kylie Lavelle (7.7 PPG) and Skye Owen (7.7 PPG).

            In addition the returning core, the Red Storm brought in a talented class of six newcomers. St. John's welcomes ASUN Freshman of the Year Sa'Mya Wyatt (Austin Peay), NJCAA Second Team All-American Beautiful Waheed (Wabash Valley), one of the nation's assists leaders in Shaulana Wagner (Troy), 2023-24 All-AAC Third Team honoree at Wichita State Daniela Abies(Miami), versatile defender Brooke Moore (Liberty) and three-time All-State selection Kyla Hayes (Cardinal O' Hara).

            The Johnnies have won eight straight home openers dating back to the 2016-17 campaign and have won the last three by 30 points or more.  St. John's holds a 37-13 all-time record in both season and home openers, dating back to the program's inception in 1974-75. Tartamella is 12-1 in his career un both home and season openers. Over their last three season openers, the Johnnies have outscored their opponents 238-122 with an average margin of victory of 38.7. In last year's first contest, the Red Storm dominated Saint Peter's, 80-39, for its largest margin of victory in nearly 17 years.

            As long has been customary for the Red Storm under Tartamella, St. John's has continuously ranked highly in defensive metrics. The Red Storm ended the 2024-25 campaign ranked 27th in NCAA Division I and second in the BIG EAST limiting opponents to 56.6 points per game.

            The Red Storm and Dolphins will meet for the first time in the history of the two programs. Le Moyne transitioned to NCAA Division I prior to the 2023-24 school year.

            Le Moyne will begin its 2025-26 campaign on Monday in the second season under the direction of Head Coach Nick DiPillo. The Dolphins are coming off a 7-24 record and a 6-10 mark in NEC competition. The Dolphins return six players from last year's team headlined by rising sophomore Eli Clark. The Preseason All-NEC selection averaged 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during her rookie campaign making 30 starts. The Oakhurst, N.J., native was chosen for the All-NEC Rookie Team and scored in double-digits in 10 of her 30 appearances

     The Red Storm women's squad will kick-off the first leg of a doubleheader as the No. 5/6 St. John's men's basketball will open its season against Quinnipiac at 6:30 p.m. Next up for the Johnnies is a trip to defending Ivy League Tournament Champions Harvard on Friday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN+.