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After a resurgent 24-win campaign and an NCAA Tournament round of 32 appearance last season, Syracuse women’s basketball has fallen back down to Earth this year.
SU lost three of its four leading scorers in the offseason, including star guard Dyaisha Fair, and couldn’t replenish their production. As a result, the Orange went 6-5 in nonconference play, setting the stage for an abysmal Atlantic Coast Conference stretch that included three losing streaks of at least three games. But after securing the No. 13 seed in the ACC Tournament, Syracuse can still extend its season.
It’ll face No. 12 seed Boston College in the first round, SU’s third matchup of the season against BC. If the Orange get past the Eagles, they’d face No. 5 seed North Carolina in the second round, while another victory would draw a matchup with No. 4 seed Florida State in the quarterfinal. For SU to return to March Madness for a second straight season, it’d need to win five games in five days.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (12-17, 6-12 ACC) will fare in the ACC Tournament:
Noah Nussbaum
I called it
Finish: First-round exit
In October, I was the least optimistic on Syracuse’s fate this season. I had it finishing 16-13 and missing the NCAA Tournament due to concerns about its underwhelming offseason additions. The latter will certainly happen this year. But I didn’t envision the Orange being this bad.
Syracuse failed to capitalize on their momentum from 2023-24, with transfers Angelica Velez and Journey Thompson not panning out. SU’s freshmen class hasn’t produced either. As a result, SU has struggled to gain any traction this season.
Early home nonconference losses to Saint Joseph’s and UAlbany hinted at the rough campaign. Embarrassing blowouts to Notre Dame, Duke and the same Boston College team it beat on Sunday made it official. So, I see SU’s season ending at the first possible chance to BC on Wednesday.
While both teams got the better of the other in one of their regular-season games, neither was at full strength. Syracuse’s leading scorer, Georgia Woolley, missed the first matchup and BC’s leader, T’yana Todd, was injured for the second. But if Todd is back, I think the Eagles will enact their revenge. They like to take shots, ranking in the top 35 in field goals (817) and 2-pointers (617) made, per HerHoopStats. And with Syracuse’s leaky defense, I think Todd’s addition will revitalize Boston College’s offense and lead to SU’s early exit.
Nicholas Alumkal
The regression was real
Finish: Second-round exit
By the skin of its teeth, Syracuse qualified for the ACC Tournament this season. After hitting remarkable highs last season as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and a No. 6 seed in March Madness, the Orange have fallen precipitously. With SU’s preseason ambition to elevate off last season, I expected a regression this campaign, but not this big of a drop.
Still, I don’t expect Syracuse to have any trouble defeating BC in the first round Wednesday. The blueprint to down the Eagles was laid out Sunday. If Syracuse can expose Boston College’s lackluster interior defense by playing through Kyra Wood, Izabel Varejão and Saniaa Wilson — who combined for 30 points Sunday — it’ll be hard to stop. Plus, if the Orange’s defense travels well, as head coach Felisha Legette-Jack frequently says it does, building off forcing 21 turnovers can prevent BC from finding its footing offensively.
On top of hitting her stride as a scorer, Woolley has blossomed as a facilitator to end this campaign with a combined 15 assists in her last two games. She’ll keep it up to propel the Orange past BC for its first ACC Tournament win since 2021.
However, Syracuse’s season is poised to end at the hands of North Carolina. With the best defense in the ACC, allowing a mere 57.5 points per game, the Tar Heels will be a formidable obstacle. UNC dominated SU in the first half during their Feb. 20 meeting, and I expect a similar fate awaits the Orange if they make it to the second round.
Timmy Wilcox
Coming up short
Finish: Second-round exit
In past years, making the conference tournament wasn’t a question. But in this new era of ACC basketball, Syracuse nearly missed the cut. One of the main reasons for its falters was late-game collapses and an inability to figure out its point-guard position.
However, the Orange drew two favorable matchups to end the regular season and took care of business. In a season that SU has struggled to play complete games, its seniors stepped up in the fourth quarter to defeat Pitt. Then, Syracuse punished Boston College with its largest win in conference play.
March is meant for the hottest teams, and SU built momentum when it mattered most. Throughout Legette-Jack’s long coaching tenure, she’s proven she can lead her squad in the postseason. She’ll have to do it again, albeit with a short turnaround against the Eagles. Syracuse will need to jump out to an early lead, as it did in its last game, and show BC that its Jan. 19 matchup was a fluke.
Wood and Woolley are playing some of their best basketball in recent games, and the veterans will propel SU to advance past the first round. But, in the second round, the Orange will meet a tough foe in UNC, and like they did in the regular season, they will come up short.
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