They were picked 13th. Dead last. In a conference that wasn’t even supposed to want them. Tonight, Syracuse women’s basketball walks into the NCAA Tournament’s second round and faces the most dominant program in the history of the sport, and not a single person in that locker room is blinking.
No. 9 seed Syracuse (27-8) vs. No. 1 seed UConn (31-3). Tonight. 9 PM ET. ESPN2.
If you’re in Central New York tonight and you’re not watching, you need to fix that. This is the kind of game that gets remembered. Win or lose, this Orange team has already done something extraordinary. But don’t tell them that. They’re not done.
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How We Got Here
Before the season started, the ACC’s coaches and media members submitted their preseason poll. Syracuse landed at the very bottom, 13th place in a 13-team conference. No respect, no expectations, no spotlight. Just a program that was told, quietly but clearly, that it wasn’t at the table.
What followed was one of the most quietly remarkable seasons in Syracuse women’s basketball history. The Orange clawed through the ACC schedule, posted a 27-8 record, and arrived in the NCAA Tournament with a No. 9 seed and something to prove. Then on Saturday, they proved it, knocking off No. 8 seed Iowa State 72-63 and punching their ticket to the second round.
The Players Who Got Them Here
Saturday’s win over Iowa State was a collective statement. Four players scored in double figures:
- Uche Izoje (23 pts), The center was immovable all game. Her 23-point performance was her 10th game of the season scoring over 20 points. She is the engine.
- Laila Phelia (18 pts), Phelia logged her 24th double-digit game of the season and came up clutch late, pulling down a key rebound and drawing a foul to seal the win.
- Olivia Schmitt (15 pts, 5-6 from three), Schmitt’s performance in the second quarter was one of the best individual stretches of basketball SU has produced in an NCAA Tournament game in years. Five three-pointers. Career high scoring. The Orange went on a 13-0 run while she was on fire.
- Sophie Burrows (14 pts), Came alive in the fourth quarter when Iowa State was mounting a comeback. Hit back-to-back threes to push the lead back to double digits and kill the Cyclones’ momentum for good.
- Journey Thompson (13 reb), Tied her career high in rebounds. Her size and length will be the key matchup variable against UConn tonight.
The Opponent: UConn Is a Different Planet
Let’s be honest about what Syracuse is walking into. UConn women’s basketball under Geno Auriemma is the most decorated dynasty in American college sports. Eleven national championships. A coaching record that borders on statistical fiction. Players who go on to define the WNBA.
This year’s Huskies are 31-3, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and they are hungry, they lost in the Final Four last year and have been on a mission all season. Paige Bueckers is their engine. She does not have bad games in March.
On paper, this is a mismatch. On paper, Syracuse doesn’t belong on the same floor.
Paper doesn’t play basketball.
Why Syracuse Can Make This Interesting
The Orange have been at their best when the moment is biggest. Coach Felisha Legette-Jack, one of the most electric, authentic personalities in women’s college basketball, has built a team that competes with its chest. They defend hard, they push pace, and they do not go quietly.
Izoje’s size in the post gives them a real matchup problem for UConn. The zone, the Syracuse zone, creates chaos for teams that haven’t drilled against it. Schmitt can get hot from anywhere beyond the arc. And this team has already shown it can win a close game in a hostile environment.
None of that guarantees anything against UConn. But it means tonight has the ingredients to be much more than a coronation.
The Bigger Picture: A Weekend That Belongs to the 315
This game comes in one of the most electric 48-hour stretches in recent Syracuse sports memory. Gerry McNamara was named head coach of the Syracuse men’s basketball program Saturday, a moment that sent the fanbase into full emotional overdrive. The Crunch are pushing for playoff positioning. And now the women are here, on a national stage, facing the biggest program in the sport.
The 315 is alive right now. Tonight is the moment.
How to Watch
- When: Tonight, Monday, March 23 at 9:00 PM ET
- Where: ESPN2 (also streaming on the ESPN app)
- Location: Storrs, Connecticut, UConn’s home floor
- What’s at stake: A Sweet 16 berth for a team that was picked dead last in the ACC preseason poll
Set the alarm. Clear the calendar. Get loud. This is yours, Syracuse. 🍊
CNY Signal covers Central New York sports, news, and community. Follow along tonight for live updates.
