By Dean Koutouratsas (@therealestdk777)
Amid an active offseason, the St. John’s women’s basketball program unveiled its non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season on Friday.
The slate features 11 matchups against other programs outside of the Big East, including four that qualified for the NCAA Tournament. At the top of the list is a showdown between the Johnnies and reigning national champion UCLA on November 24. The marquee matchup, which was announced in May, will take place during the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Although the Johnnies aren’t considered favorites in this matchup, they are facing off against a much different Bruins squad, one that lost six seniors after going all the way last season. The Red Storm, on the other hand, recruited seven newcomers during the offseason, including four transfers and three freshmen, to provide senior Brooke Moore and junior Sa’Mya Wyatt with a quality supporting cast. St. John’s will face off against UCLA in the first of two matchups of the event, while UConn will face South Carolina in a rematch of last year’s Final Four. The four-team spectacle includes four of the last five national champions and three of the four programs that reached the Final Four in 2026.
Before that date, the Red Storm will open the season on a four-game homestand, which starts when it faces Lafayette at Carnesecca Arena on November 2. The Johnnies have been overly successful during their season openers, winning each of their last five by a margin of 15 points or more under head coach Joe Tartamella, who is entering his 15th season at the helm. Later that week, the Johnnies will host Wagner on November 7. Tartamella’s squad is 16-2 against the Staten Island school and rolled past the Seahawks in their last matchup, 80-51.
On November 11, St. John’s will meet Quinnipiac for the second consecutive season. The Red Storm have won two of its last three matchups against the Bobcats, with a 53-51 triumph coming last November in Hamden. The Johnnies close out the opening homestretch on November 14 in a game against defending Atlantic 10 champion Rhode Island. This will be the 15th meeting between the Red Storm and the Rams, with St. John’s holding a 10-4 advantage in the series.
Following the homestead, Tartamella will lead his Red Storm into a much anticipated rematch against Oklahoma State at historic Gallagher-Iba Arena on November 18. Last season when the two teams faced off, the Johnnies pulled off a stunning 74-67 upset over the then-No. 18-ranked program in the nation, who later fell to UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
St. John’s will continue its season through Thanksgiving, traveling to Richmond, Virginia for a pair of contests during the 4 Tha Culture Holiday Hoops Classic at the Henrico Center. The Red Storm faces Richmond on November 27 and Dayton on November 28 in its final tournament games of the non-conference schedule.
The Johnnies will then wrap up their non-conference schedule with another three-game homestand during December. The first matchup is against Temple on December 13, a program St. John’s defeated in two of its last three meetings. Later that week, the Red Storm hosts Ivy League opponent Dartmouth for the first time since 2008 and only the fourth time in program history. The Johnnies areundefeated against the. Big Green, and have won two of their last three matchups by 35 points or more. St. John’s non-conference schedule will close against New Haven on December 22. The Red Storm defeated the Chargers, 67-47, last season, as Tartamella earned his 250th career win with the victory.
In total, the Johnnies will play seven games at Carnesecca Arena, one road game and three neutral-site contests. They went 10-1 in non-conference play last season, and are 37-10 against out-of-conference opponents in their last four seasons under Tartamella.
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