The St. Thomas women’s basketball team is looking toward playoffs as February marks the end of the regular season.

The team is ranked No. 3 in the MIAC with a conference record of 13-3 and overall 17-4. The Tommies have won the conference tournament the last eight years and won the conference championship the last five years.

Coach Ruth Sinn said she has high hopes when it comes to the last leg of the season.

“We have built a pretty good dynasty, we have a lot of young talent and they have done very well,” Sinn said.

The Tommies must finish the regular season with a better record than both Augsburg and Bethel to win the conference.

“Any other team would be celebrating right now, the hard part is that we are St. Thomas, and everyone is playing the comparison game. It’s not right,” Sinn said.

Last year, women’s hoops went undefeated in conference play with three seniors leading the way. There are no seniors this season, but Sinn sees this as a positive.

“The positive thing is that these young ladies right now are gaining that experience, in the long run this will really help them,” Sinn said.

Junior captain Macy Hatlestad commented on how players have stepped into roles they normally wouldn’t be in.

“I think the biggest difference between this year and the past two years is no one was quite sure of their role (this year),” Hatlestad said.

Despite the Tommies’ winning season so far, the team has sustained losses to its roster. Returning junior and All-American, Kaia Porter, has been out with a knee injury since November, only starting in three of the four games she has played this season.

“I have had to take on more roles than expected from the beginning of the season,” Hatlestad said. “We joke that Kaia and I are the “moms” of the team with our little ducklings right behind us” Hatlestad said.

Even with Porter’s absence, Sinn has high hopes for her team.

“These are things we cannot control,” Sinn said. “What we can control is how we play, get out on the court, our purpose and understanding of wearing the jersey and playing this game together.

Three of the last four regular season games are at home. The Tommies will play Bethel (20-1 overall) Wednesday, Feb. 12.

“Anytime you watch us play, they are going to play with heart, passion, togetherness, and joy. That is what you want to watch,” Sinn said.

Andrés Tejeda can be reached at agtejeda@stthomas.edu.