St. John’s to Face Defending National Champion UCLA at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase

2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase Announcement Graphic

St. John’s to Face Defending National Champion UCLA at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase

5/12/2026 1:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Basketball Hall of Fame Release (PDF)Basketball Hall of Fame Release (Link)

The Red Storm will meet the defending National Champion Bruins at Mohegan Sun Arena on November 24

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The St. John's women's basketball program will battle the defending National Champions UCLA as part of the 13th annual Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena, the organization announced on Tuesday.

The Red Storm will meet the Bruins in Uncasville, Conn., on November 24th in the first of two matchups. The other contest will feature a Final Four rematch between UConn and South Carolina. The four-team event includes four of the last five national champions and three of the four teams that comprised the 2026 Final Four.

Tickets are expected to go on sale in early September. Game time and broadcast information will be released at a later date.

"We're excited for the opportunity to compete in an event alongside the premier programs in women's basketball, including three Final Four teams and the defending national champion in UCLA," said Head Coach Joe Tartamella. "Events like this are invaluable for our program because they challenge our team to compete at the highest level and provide a tremendous experience for our student-athletes. We look forward to showcasing the brand of St. John's women's basketball on a national stage."

St. John's and UCLA will meet for the fourth time with the Bruins taking all three of the previous meetings. The two last met on Nov. 28, 2021, at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., when the then-No. 19 Bruins outlasted the Johnnies, 73-65.

The Johnnies are set to make their 11th appearance at Mohegan Sun Arena, the longtime home of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. The BIG EAST Tournament was moved to the venue in 2021 and the Red Storm have picked up a victory in Uncasville in each of the last two seasons.

The Red Storm will bring back five returners, including All-BIG EAST honorees Brooke Moore and Sa'Mya Wyatt. The returning core will be joined by a talented group of four newcomers ahead of the 2026-27 season. Tartamella will enter his 15th year at the helm of the program and has recorded 11 winning seasons and 10 postseason appearances during his tenure.