Syracuse Women’s Basketball Punches NCAA Tournament Ticket, Draws No. 1 UConn Monday Night

The Syracuse Orange are dancing, and they’re not done yet.

Syracuse women’s basketball earned a No. 9 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and made it count immediately, knocking off Iowa State 72-63 in the first round on Friday night in Storrs, Connecticut. It marks the program’s 14th trip to the Big Dance and one of the most complete performances of their season.

A Statement Win Without Their Floor General

What makes the victory even more impressive: the Orange did it without starting point guard Dominique Darius, who underwent surgery on her left hand after an ACC Tournament injury and is out for the remainder of the postseason. Syracuse didn’t flinch.

Know before your neighbors do

The Morning Signal hits your inbox at 6 AM with everything that happened overnight. Real incidents, real data, zero fluff.

Freshman center Uche Izoje, the 2026 ACC Rookie of the Year, led the way with 23 points, continuing a season in which she’s averaged 15.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Guard Laila Phelia added 18 points with several clutch second-half buckets, and bench spark Olivia Schmitt caught fire for a career-high 15 points on five three-pointers. For context, Schmitt had made just 10 threes all season before Friday.

Monday Night: No. 1 UConn

The reward for the Iowa State win? A date with the undefeated No. 1 overall seed UConn Huskies (35-0) on Monday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. The game takes place at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

Syracuse has been here before, literally. In the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Orange gave UConn everything they could handle before falling. Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, a Syracuse alumna who returned to lead her alma mater in 2022, has this team believing they can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

Season at a Glance

The Orange finished the regular season 24-8 overall and 12-6 in ACC play. Beyond Izoje’s Rookie of the Year honor, Phelia earned All-ACC Second Team selection and junior guard Sophie Burrows won the ACC’s Kay Yow Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, a first for a Syracuse player since joining the conference.

Legette-Jack finished third in ACC Coach of the Year voting behind Duke’s Kara Lawson and Louisville’s Jeff Walz, a testament to what she’s built in just four seasons back on the Hill.