By Joseph Staszewski
St. John’s wants to finish the job.
A year ago, the Red Storm women’s basketball team reached the Big East title game for the first time since 1988, losing to DePaul. St. John’s still made its fifth straight NCAA tournament and won a game, but coming so close to a conference championship still stuck with the retuning players. Coach Joe Tartamella felt it was the driving force in the offseason.
They can’t come up empty again.
“We were almost there winning the championship,” junior guard Aliyyah Handford said. “We are trying to get back there and win it this year.”
They should be in position to do so again thanks to a trio of dynamic and athletic guards.
Handford (16.7 points per game) and junior Danaejah Grant (10.9 points) both return. Both were preseason All-Big East First Team selections.
“I think they have the potential to be off the charts,” Tartamella said.
The speedy Aaliyah Lewis takes over the point guard spot for the graduated Eugeneia McPherson. Freshmen Tamesha Alexander and Crystal Simmons are expected to add depth.
“Sorry for who has to defend us,” Lewis said. “It’s like lightning, flash. It’s crazy.”
St. John’s, picked to finish second behind DePaul by the league’s coaches, isn’t making things easier on opponents in the paint either. Unlike years past, the Red Storm have long, athletic forwards and plenty of them. That should allow them to continue to be able to play a fast pace even with a bigger lineup.
“Not only do we have the size, but we have speed that we like,” Tartamella said.
He is expecting another big season out of 6-foot-2 senior forward Amber Thompson, a preseason All-Big East third team selection. She averaged 7.8 points and 9.2 rebounds last year and Tartamella believes she can push both to double-digits by making a few more free throws.
He has plenty of options in the post after her. Versatile forward Jade Walker has slimmed down and the 6-foot-4 Selina Archer will also see major minutes. Freshman Imani Littleton, who is 6-foot-3, may be the best player in the incoming class.
“I feel like our size is going to be a big problem for people this year,” Thompson said.
Tartamella considers this his most complete roster during his three-year tenure as head coach. St. John’s will still need to find a consistent outside shooting threat after the graduation of Briana Brown and someone to do the intangibles with Keylantra Langley’s career over. It doesn’t change what St. John’s believes it can achieve this season. The Red Storm want to bring a conference title home on its way to the NCAA tournament this time around.
“It’s a disappointment when you get so far and you don’t get what you want,” Thompson said. “It just gives us a lot more motivation to get that this year. We know it is right there.”
