NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference will host its fourth annual Transition Game Program Sept. 7-8 in New York City. The interactive program aims to assist current women’s basketball student-athletes in the transition from college player to emerging professional, both on and off the court.
BIG EAST schools will send women’s basketball student-athletes who have been selected at the institution’s discretion. Thirty student-athletes are expected to attend, along with leaders from across the conference’s campus administrations.
"We are excited to once again host the Transition Game program,” said Tracy Ellis-Ward, BIG EAST Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball. “We are proud that Transition Game has become a much anticipated experience for our women’s basketball student-athletes. They have a unique opportunity to learn from industry professionals and BIG EAST alumnae who will impart valuable information about life after basketball.”
The BIG EAST Transition Game schedule will include panels comprised of former BIG EAST standouts; WNBA and collegiate leaders from the court, the sidelines and in the front office; and respected media personalities. Student-athletes will enjoy interactive sessions on mental health, mock interviews and assessing personal strengths. The program will include a visit to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan and dinner at an iconic New York City restaurant.
The weekend’s first panel, “Careers in the Game,” features Vice President of the Connecticut Sun Amber Cox; former St. John’s Assistant Coach and current Providence Associate Head Coach Priscilla Edwards; Division I, WNBA and NBA G League referee and former Delaware standout Karleena Tobin; and recent Villanova graduate and reigning BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award recipient Jannah Tucker. Monica McNutt, Georgetown alumna and current basketball analyst for the likes of FOX Sports, MSG Networks, CBS Sports Network and the BIG EAST Digital Network, will serve as moderator of the panel.
“Life After the Game” follows and features BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman and Executive Director of the WNBA Players Association Terri Jackson. FOX College Sports and BIG EAST Digital Network personality John Fanta will moderate.
The student-athletes will participate in the StrengthsQuest exercise, a personal assessment focused on building each individuals’ natural strengths, along with a series of mock interviews. Sue McNeilly, Senior Assistant Director of Career Services at New York University, and Sharod Tomlinson, Director of the R.I.S.E. Network at St. John’s, will facilitate StrengthsQuest, while human resources specialist Cheryl Gelzer Alexis, JD, will guide the Beyond The Court session, along with Michael Sainte, BIG EAST Director of Compliance and Membership Services. New for this year, a session on learning practical strategies on managing mental health, hosted by Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble. Dr. Alfiee is a renowned researcher, consultant and author.
About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,500 student-athletes on over 180 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in seven of the country’s top 35 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit
www.bigeast.com.