Transfer Danielle Cosgrove starts anew for St. John's women's basketball
Sachem East alum Danielle Cosgrove transferred from Notre Dame and is now a forward at St. John's, where she is much more comfortable because she's closer to home. Credit: James Escher
There are only a handful of true college women’s basketball destinations. Notre Dame is one of them. So when Danielle Cosgrove of Sachem East completed a high school career that included three times being named to Newsday’s All-Long Island first team and left to join the defending national champion Fighting Irish, it seemed like a natural.
It turned out to be something less than a perfect fit.
The 6-4 Cosgrove got to play in the NCAA Tournament her first season as Notre Dame reached the Final Four and played in the national championship game. She averaged 13 minutes as a sophomore and had a 12-point performance against Michigan State, an eight-rebound outing against Tennessee and made three three-pointers against North Carolina. However she was doing it while battling what she called "mental health issues" and needed new surroundings.
It has brought her to St. John’s and coach Joe Tartamella — the first school and coach to make a home visit when she was being recruited — for a fresh start.
"I want to be open about what I went through — I had a lot of struggles with my mental health while I was at Notre Dame," Cosgrove said. "I feel like being here gives me the opportunity to be surrounded by people I know are going to support me in whatever I need as far as my mental health, academics and athletics. Being at St. John’s and coming home to New York was the perfect picture for me."
Cosgrove is one of two major additions to a team that is looking to turn the page on an 8-15 season (4-12 in the Big East) played in an air of what all-conference junior guard Leilani Correa called "negativity" largely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"There is a lot of positivity here this season. The culture just feels different," Correa said. "I see ‘DC’ and [grad transfer] Danielle Patterson as big contributors to that with their leadership."
Patterson also played at Notre Dame — on the 2018 national champ and for Cosgrove’s freshman season — before transferring to Indiana and playing one season. The 6-2 Patterson and Cosgrove both have two years of eligibility left.
They will join a team that could go 8 to 10 deep and with returning starters Correa, senior guard and Long Beach product Kadaja Bailey and junior guard Unique Drake and several other major contributors. Correa averaged 17.6 points, Bailey 9.6 with 5.9 rebounds and Drake 9.6 points and 3.0 assists.
St. John’s opens its season Wednesday against FDU at Carnesecca Arena.
Cosgrove said that the mental health issues she faced seeped into everything including her play on the court.
"If you're having a hard time getting up, going to classes and doing little things, it becomes almost impossible for you to come out and be present and function in a two-to-three hour practice environment, never mind games. It affects every aspect of your life from your personal relationships to how you play."
Looking back at her time in South Bend, Indiana, Cosgrove felt she didn’t have the wherewithal to find support at Notre Dame and said "I probably didn’t take it as seriously as I should have."
"A big part of it for me is I'm an only child and I'm very close to my family and being somewhere that's 12 hours away, you’re not in a position to be able to come home or have my family come to me," Cosgrove said. "That was a big challenge."
Since Cosgrove arrived, Tartamella has seen the happy and energetic player that he initially recruited. With some extra things to bring to the table.
"Her three-point shot is great as it always was and I may have underrated her inside game because it has developed," he said. "And with DC and Danielle Patterson, we have players who have the experience of playing on a national championship and Final Four team. They’ve been there and have the experience, the good habits and the know-how about what it takes to get there.
"I am excited to see [Cosgrove play for us because I think all she needs is more (playing time]."
Cosgrove has seen how mental health has become a major issue in college and professional sports and issued one piece of advice.
"The biggest thing I can say about mental health is reach out to the people that are there for you because they truly are there to help you," she said. "Asking for what you need is crucial. If you don’t, you’re just stuck."
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
