After suffering a loss to Georgetown in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament, the St. John’s Women’s Basketball team awaited their fate for a postseason berth into the multitude of tournaments available for women’s basketball – the NCAA tournament, National Invitational Tournament (NIT), and now the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
Their season, unlike their male counterparts who declined an invitation to the NIT, is not done yet.
The WBIT was created in 2023 (put into action for the first time in 2024), to expand the postseason and allow 32 more teams to participate. The field is chosen from the “first four out” of the NCAA tournament, plus seven regular season champions, and 21 additional at-large selections based on various metrics throughout the season.
This year will mark the first of the WBIT, which will hold its final rounds at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler University’s campus.
The No. 3 seeded University of Florida (16-15, 5-11) will host the Red Storm (17-14, 11-8) in Gainesville, FL on March 21 at 7 p.m. in the first round of the tournament.
Home advantage goes to each team that enters the tournament with a ranking. Notably, Villanova (18-12) will enter the tournament as a one-seed and will host VCU in the first round. Seton Hall (playing at No. 3 Saint Joseph’s) and Georgetown (playing at No.3 Washington) are the next of the four Big East Schools that were selected to play in the WBIT.
The Red Storm finished third in the Big East, earning themselves a bye into the first round of the Big East Tournament. In a slow start to the season, the Johnnies were able to come up with a collection of big wins, most importantly against No. 20/19 Marquette on Jan. 3. This season’s top-three conference ranking marks head coach Joe Tartamella’s ninth in just 12 seasons with St. John’s.
At the forefront for St. John’s has been unanimous All-Big East First Team selection Unique Drake (avg. 17.7 pts.) and All-Big East Honorable Mention Jillian Archer (avg. 11.3 pts, 7.7 rebounds). The pair of seniors plowed through the season in historic fashion, including 30-point performances and multiple double-doubles.
As one of Tartamella’s most loyal players for the past five years, Drake will face off against her former teammate, Leilani Correa, who averaged 17.4 points this season at Florida. The senior guard transferred out of St. John’s following her third season in 2022.
Although St. John’s didn’t make it into the NCAA March Madness Tournament this year, they have a chance to be a part of history in the first ever WBIT tournament, a testament to the expansion of women’s college basketball over the past few years.
The winner of Thursday night’s contest between Florida and St. John’s will advance to the next round to face off against the winner of Toledo and Cleveland State.
