The women's Big 5 hoops went all over the world this summer

The St. Joseph And Villanova women’s basketball teams are very different in makeup.

While the Hawks returned most of their 2023-2024 roster and welcomed just three new freshmen, the Wildcats underwent several offseason changes.

The programs have one thing in common: head coaches Cindy Griffin and Denise Dillon thought this was the perfect time for an overseas tour.

NCAA rules allow college basketball teams to tour overseas once every four yearsduring a holiday period. The Hawks opted to play in Croatia while the Wildcats traveled to Italy.

Both coaches had hoped to make overseas tours earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic affected their plans.

Dillon spoke with Villanova about an overseas tour soon after she was hired in 2020. She had hoped to start one while stars like Maddy Siegrist and Brooke Mullin were on the team, but the timing “wasn’t right.”

“It’s such an extensive journey to get everything in place, so we were able to make it happen this past summer, and it really worked perfectly with having so many new players, and (it was) last year for Kaitlyn Orihel and Maddie Burke,” Dillon said. “So things worked for a reason.”

Griffin said she knew she wanted to take a trip with her current Hawks core, but their 2021 season tournament to the Bahamas, when that core was freshmen, didn’t work out.

“For the student-athletes, the students have the opportunity to go study abroad for a semester, but in basketball we can’t do that because we are a two-semester sport,” Griffin said. “So just give the players the opportunity to experience a different culture, compete against other competitions and at the same time make lifelong memories with your teammates.”

St. Joe’s is largely the same team as last season, but time over the summer allowed Griffin to look at different combinations on the field.

“We know who we are, from last year, but every year is different, right? We cannot assume that we are the same team even though we return 11 of our 13 players,” said Griffin. “We don’t want to take anything for granted while at the same time integrating the younger players and making them comfortable with minutes and contributions.”

While St. Joe’s went to Croatia and Villanova went to Italy, another Big 5 women’s team, Penndid both this summer – sweeping his three scrimmages along the way. Head coach Mike McLaughlin said the Quakers decided to travel for the first time in six years after the Ivy League allowed freshmen to go for the first time.

“It used to be that they had to be students at the school before they became athletes,” McLaughlin said. “This summer they lifted that restriction, allowing our freshmen to go.”

The trip allowed team building to begin, a benefit as Penn welcomed six new freshmen this season.

“It unites players. It gets them to know each other a little bit off the field because there is so much time off the field on these trips,” McLaughlin said. “It can only help progress, right? Because when we started, the players already understood each other, not only on the field, but also off it. And it’s really helped this group grow much faster than I could have expected, and that’s been fun.”

Villanova’s trip allowed the Wildcats’ younger players to get comfortable after their first game against the Spanish All-Star Team, which they lost 65-55. They won their next two matches, against ASD Basketball Sisters and Riga Stradins University, to end their tour 2–1.

“The Spanish All-Star Team consisted of much older women. I think the oldest on the team was 38, so that was pretty cool,” Burke said. “Those were the first games we played together, in Italy, with this brand new team. I mean, that’s something that a lot of people can say they did. So it was great to be able to do that.”

The Hawks won their matches against Croatia All-Stars and Croatia Select. They trained for their trip “like an A-10 championship,” senior guard Mackenzie Smith said.

“We were very fortunate that we were able to do 20 hours (of training) in the summer,” Smith said. “I know a lot of teams can’t do that and wouldn’t be willing to do that, but I think we took advantage of the time we had together. It really prepared us, and I think it will only benefit us in the future.”

Even off the field, Smith saw how the camaraderie she and her teammates built followed them into what Griffin and Smith said was their favorite activity: ziplining. Smith said she and Griffin were apprehensive on the way up, but just like on the field, Griffin coached her players through it.

“It was like we were in a game,” Smith said. “She said, ‘You got it, Mac. We will get through this one by one. It’s going to be great.’ I felt very coached at that moment.”

Griffin believes the group’s support encouraged everyone to participate in something they otherwise wouldn’t have done.

“No one forced anyone to do anything. They just said, ‘Yes, I’m brave. I am brave. I’m going to do this,'” Griffin said. “It really provided a lot of encouragement, courage and support.”

The same goes for the Wildcats, who have experienced most of their team building outside of any game or practice.

“You’re always talking about team building strategies and trying to integrate them into your schedule,” Dillon said. “When you do something like this, there’s nothing better than a trip abroad, the trip itself to really get the chance to disconnect from all the distractions and spend that quality time together.”

Burke added: “We got to go to dinner parties together, and we got to do all these tours together, and it was a unique experience. Being able to do that definitely brought us closer together.”

One of Burke’s favorite experiences was taking a private tour of the Vatican and meeting with the Rev. Jack Flynn, a Villanova alumnus, to learn more about the Augustinian tradition and the history of the Augustinians and Villanovans.

“To really tie Villanova into this journey for our returning players, and for our new players, to really let them hear the story of what Villanova is about, was extremely special,” Dillon said.