Last season’s success is paying dividends even before the first tip-off of the year for the Red Storm women’s basketball team.

The team, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year, has been listed in the preseason Top 25 among all women’s hoops teams by three different sources.
College Sports Television (CSTV.com) ranked the Storm at No. 16 and also featured the team in its 64 Things You Need to Know article.

According to CSTV.com: “St. John’s has moved up in the world. The Red Storm garnered its first national ranking last season in more than 20 years. And as the team returns its leading scorers, first team All-Big East selections and All-America candidates Angela Clark and Kia Wright, St. John’s will be ready for Connecticut when they host them on a big stage in Madison Square Garden.”

Clark and Wright are the lone seniors on a team that graduated five seniors including three starters. The team will be relying heavily on the play of junior Tiina Sten, sophomore Monique McLean, and their class of five freshmen.

SportsPageMagazine.com put the women at No. 21 in its preseason poll and has attributed much of the team’s recent success to fifth year coach Kim Barnes Arico. “Barnes Arico, last season’s Big East Coach of the Year, has quickly turned around the program, and improvement has continued each season, including last season’s NCAA tournament birth,” said SportsPageMagazine.com. “Following consecutive 20-win season[s], St. John’s isn’t the surprise it was in years past, but with the talent returning, they won’t need to rely on that tactic to build on their recent success.”

The third publication is Lindy’s magazine which ranked the Red Storm No. 22 in its College Basketball Preview issue.