St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s to Face Columbia in Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament First Round
3/15/2026 10:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Red Storm will open the postseason on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Manhattan
QUEENS, N.Y. –The St. John's women's basketball team has earned an at-large bid to the 2026 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), it was announced during the selection show on Sunday night.
The Red Storm will face fourth-seeded Columbia in the WBIT First Round on Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. St. John's will make the short trip to Levien Gymnasium for the first time since Dec. 4, 2009.
The Johnnies will make their 19th all-time postseason appearance and second in the WBIT. In the tournament's inaugural season in 2024, St. John's defeated Florida, 79-60, on March 21 behind a 37-point performance from Unique Drake before falling in the WBIT Second Round at Toledo, 72-71.
Under Head Coach Joe Tartamella, St. John's will make its ninth postseason appearance in 14 seasons. The winningest coach in program history has guided the Johnnies to four NCAA Tournaments, three WNIT's and now two WBIT appearances.
In 2023, the NCAA announced the creation of the 32-team WBIT. The field as chosen by the selection committee features the "First Four Out" of the NCAA Tournament, regular season champions did not win their conference tournaments and additional at-large selections. St. John's joins Seton Hall as the two BIG EAST programs represented in this year's tournament.
The Red Storm will enter the postseason with a 22-11 overall record and an 11-9 mark in BIG EAST play. The Johnnies recorded their highest win total since the 2022-23 campaign, when they went 23-9 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
St. John's is led by All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Brooke Moore, who averages 12.1 points per game on 52.6% shooting. Additionally, Sa'Mya Wyatt was tabbed All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention and ranks second on the team logging 11.1 points per contest.
The winner of Thursday's contest will meet the winner of top-seeded North Dakota State and Chattanooga this weekend in the second round.
The Red Storm will face fourth-seeded Columbia in the WBIT First Round on Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. St. John's will make the short trip to Levien Gymnasium for the first time since Dec. 4, 2009.
The Johnnies will make their 19th all-time postseason appearance and second in the WBIT. In the tournament's inaugural season in 2024, St. John's defeated Florida, 79-60, on March 21 behind a 37-point performance from Unique Drake before falling in the WBIT Second Round at Toledo, 72-71.
Under Head Coach Joe Tartamella, St. John's will make its ninth postseason appearance in 14 seasons. The winningest coach in program history has guided the Johnnies to four NCAA Tournaments, three WNIT's and now two WBIT appearances.
In 2023, the NCAA announced the creation of the 32-team WBIT. The field as chosen by the selection committee features the "First Four Out" of the NCAA Tournament, regular season champions did not win their conference tournaments and additional at-large selections. St. John's joins Seton Hall as the two BIG EAST programs represented in this year's tournament.
The Red Storm will enter the postseason with a 22-11 overall record and an 11-9 mark in BIG EAST play. The Johnnies recorded their highest win total since the 2022-23 campaign, when they went 23-9 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
St. John's is led by All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Brooke Moore, who averages 12.1 points per game on 52.6% shooting. Additionally, Sa'Mya Wyatt was tabbed All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention and ranks second on the team logging 11.1 points per contest.
The winner of Thursday's contest will meet the winner of top-seeded North Dakota State and Chattanooga this weekend in the second round.
Players Mentioned
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