St. John's University Athletics
ST. JOHN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY QUOTES
St. John’s Women’s Basketball Head Coach Joe Tartamella, forward Kylie Lavelle, guard Jailah Donald and forward Kayla Hayes met with the media on Thursday at Carnesecca Arena
Head Coach Joe Tartamella
Opening statement…
“Exciting times for us as we gear up. We’ve got a number of new faces, both as players and staff. There’s been a lot of things percolating over the last months and weeks. Practice has certainly been spirited and we’re still getting to know each other in terms of our chemistry. When you add six new players, it’s never easy. We’re continuing to build every day. We like what we see in some areas. We feel like we’ve got some upgrades from where we were last year as a team that I thought really battled. We were right on the cusp in terms of being able to be in another postseason, but obviously we didn’t get there, so this group is definitely motivated to be back.”
On the pride surrounding St. John’s…
“I walk around now with a St. Johns shirt on and people immediately ask about our program. They’re intrigued, they have pride. They’ll say, ‘I went to school there, I graduated from there.’ It’s amazing to see the excitement and pride that’s building around St. John’s again.
On capitalizing on momentum across the men’s and women’s programs…
“When we talk about capitalizing on the men’s momentum, it’s about making sure we’re doing our job, being the best coaches we can be, promoting our program and being great partners. We’re watching what they’re doing, learning from it and helping to build the overall infrastructure of St. John’s basketball. We’re excited for their year and for the future of both programs.”
On using Madison Square Garden as a tool in recruiting…
“When we have recruits on campus, Madison Square Garden is one of the biggest parts of the visit. The Garden’s been great in welcoming us and giving players a sense of that experience. Last year, we played Butler there, and we plan to play there again this year. It’s a huge component of what we do and a special part of our program’s identity.”
On senior forward Kylie Lavelle’s leadership…
“Kylie is as steady and consistent as you can ask for. She came on really strong late last season, and that’s where we want her to stay. She’s aggressive offensively, a good passer and has a high basketball IQ. We need her to embrace those big moments, to be the one who can make a play, whether it’s hitting a shot or getting a stop at the end of the game.”
On player growth and late-game execution…
“We lost a few games last year by a single possession, either we didn’t hit the shot we needed or we didn’t get the stop we needed. That’s where we’ve got to flip the script this season. Our players know that, and they’re embracing those moments in practice every day.
Senior forward Kylie Lavelle
On her role in 2025-26…
“I think I have the same role as last year. [Coach Tartamella] expects the same thing. Rebounding, scoring inside and outside. But I feel like we have a lot of different weapons this year.”
On the team’s identity heading into the season…
“Our main focus is always defense. Coach [Tartamella] always talks about defense. That’s our main goal going [into the season]. Our defense turns into offense, so I think we all know that that’s our main focus so that’s just going to help improve our offense.”
Senior guard Jailah Donald
On what she brings to the team…
“Communication is so important. On and off the court. I bring leadership to the team. I know what it looks like to win. When I was a freshman, I was more quiet. I’ve been coming out of my shell to be the leader we need on the court. I can help others by being that leader. I want my teammates to be comfortable coming up to me and asking questions, if they need anything”
On her expectations for the team…
“We’re going to bring the energy, compete and we’re going to win.”
Freshman forward Kyla Hayes
On adjusting to the college level…
“The pace of play is definitely a lot faster than high school. I’m just trying to adjust, move the ball faster and get up and down the floor faster. That was one of the biggest adjustments for me.”
On the team leaders…
“[The veterans] have been very supportive. They know I’m the only freshman, so they try and help me and lift me up as much as they can, especially Kylie [Lavelle]. She helps me a lot, even when we’re playing against each other, she finds a way to help me.”
Opening statement…
“Exciting times for us as we gear up. We’ve got a number of new faces, both as players and staff. There’s been a lot of things percolating over the last months and weeks. Practice has certainly been spirited and we’re still getting to know each other in terms of our chemistry. When you add six new players, it’s never easy. We’re continuing to build every day. We like what we see in some areas. We feel like we’ve got some upgrades from where we were last year as a team that I thought really battled. We were right on the cusp in terms of being able to be in another postseason, but obviously we didn’t get there, so this group is definitely motivated to be back.”
On the pride surrounding St. John’s…
“I walk around now with a St. Johns shirt on and people immediately ask about our program. They’re intrigued, they have pride. They’ll say, ‘I went to school there, I graduated from there.’ It’s amazing to see the excitement and pride that’s building around St. John’s again.
On capitalizing on momentum across the men’s and women’s programs…
“When we talk about capitalizing on the men’s momentum, it’s about making sure we’re doing our job, being the best coaches we can be, promoting our program and being great partners. We’re watching what they’re doing, learning from it and helping to build the overall infrastructure of St. John’s basketball. We’re excited for their year and for the future of both programs.”
On using Madison Square Garden as a tool in recruiting…
“When we have recruits on campus, Madison Square Garden is one of the biggest parts of the visit. The Garden’s been great in welcoming us and giving players a sense of that experience. Last year, we played Butler there, and we plan to play there again this year. It’s a huge component of what we do and a special part of our program’s identity.”
On senior forward Kylie Lavelle’s leadership…
“Kylie is as steady and consistent as you can ask for. She came on really strong late last season, and that’s where we want her to stay. She’s aggressive offensively, a good passer and has a high basketball IQ. We need her to embrace those big moments, to be the one who can make a play, whether it’s hitting a shot or getting a stop at the end of the game.”
On player growth and late-game execution…
“We lost a few games last year by a single possession, either we didn’t hit the shot we needed or we didn’t get the stop we needed. That’s where we’ve got to flip the script this season. Our players know that, and they’re embracing those moments in practice every day.
Senior forward Kylie Lavelle
On her role in 2025-26…
“I think I have the same role as last year. [Coach Tartamella] expects the same thing. Rebounding, scoring inside and outside. But I feel like we have a lot of different weapons this year.”
On the team’s identity heading into the season…
“Our main focus is always defense. Coach [Tartamella] always talks about defense. That’s our main goal going [into the season]. Our defense turns into offense, so I think we all know that that’s our main focus so that’s just going to help improve our offense.”
Senior guard Jailah Donald
On what she brings to the team…
“Communication is so important. On and off the court. I bring leadership to the team. I know what it looks like to win. When I was a freshman, I was more quiet. I’ve been coming out of my shell to be the leader we need on the court. I can help others by being that leader. I want my teammates to be comfortable coming up to me and asking questions, if they need anything”
On her expectations for the team…
“We’re going to bring the energy, compete and we’re going to win.”
Freshman forward Kyla Hayes
On adjusting to the college level…
“The pace of play is definitely a lot faster than high school. I’m just trying to adjust, move the ball faster and get up and down the floor faster. That was one of the biggest adjustments for me.”
On the team leaders…
“[The veterans] have been very supportive. They know I’m the only freshman, so they try and help me and lift me up as much as they can, especially Kylie [Lavelle]. She helps me a lot, even when we’re playing against each other, she finds a way to help me.”