The University of St. Thomas is breaking in its brand new hockey and basketball facility, the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena.

Only one Tommie has either played or coached at every St. Thomas arena, and her name is Ruth Sinn. She's the head coach of the UST women's basketball team. Sinn just started her 21st season at the helm of the program, but her ties to the team run much deeper.

"I just found the home and I never left," said Sinn.

She started as a player in the early 1980s as a point guard.

"My freshman year, I was playing in O'Shaughnessy gym on the third floor," said Sinn.

One of the selling points in Sinn's recruitment process was knowing she would get to play in Schoenecker Arena, which opened up her sophomore year. She played her remaining college years at the facility.

Sinn returned to the same gym in 2005 to be the women's basketball head coach. After a few years, she moved with the team in 2010 to the newer Schoenecker Arena at the Anderson Athletics and Recreation Complex.

Today, the Tommies call Lee and Penny Anderson Arena home, their fourth arena in school history.

"And now to come to this facility ... player's lounge, film room, our own practice facility," said Sinn, "I have told [the players] though, we have all the bells and whistles, but we still need to keep a 'PHD' attitude: poor, hungry and driven."

Senior Faith Feuerbach is a shooting guard on the team. 

"Just seeing it in person was such a 'wow' factor, and it was so much better than I could have imagined that the pictures had shown. Our locker room is amazing, the complex is amazing, the arena is unreal. Everything is just state-of-the-art," said Feuerbach.

However, it wasn't the promised new arena that drew Feuerbach to this team. It was the coach.

"She is a Tommie through and through. She is very passionate about this school, and I love that, and it makes it that much better playing for her when she just wears the passion on her chest," said Feuerbach.

The same goes for Sinn. It's the players over the perks.

"When I look back on my coaching career, it's all the people, and that's where I smile," said Sinn.

To go to a future home game at the new arena, check out the full UST Women's Basketball schedule for 2025-2026.