Previewing Syracuse women’s basketball’s ACC opener vs. SMU
Syracuse will look to move to 8-1 on the season with a win over SMU in its ACC opener at Moody Coliseum Sunday. Leopold Gensler | Contributing Photographer
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It was Jan. 9, and Syracuse led 64-61. SU had started 0-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play — part of a disappointing 6-8 start — and facing a 9-6 SMU team wasn’t exactly a favor. But the Orange were 32 seconds from their first conference win. Then, everything unraveled. Dominique Camp turned the ball over, allowing Kaysia Woods to hit a game-tying 3.
Five minutes later — in its first overtime action in nearly a year — Syracuse was in the same spot. Izabel Varejão had just sunk a lead-taking jumper, and the Mustangs were down to their final possession. They made it count. Zanai Jones fed Nya Robertson in the frontcourt, who drove past Georgia Woolley and lofted a dagger floater with one second left to put SMU ahead 72-71.
Three hundred thirty-two days later, the Orange and Mustangs meet again. This time’s completely different, though, as SMU astonishingly abused the transfer portal and high-school ranks to grab all 15 of its current players. SU, on the other hand, has lost just one game and is coming off a stunning 66-60 overtime win over Auburn.
Here’s everything to know about SMU (4-5, ACC) before it faces Syracuse (7-1, ACC) in the two teams’ ACC opener Sunday at Moody Coliseum:
All-time series
SMU leads 1-0.
Last time they played
It was pure heartbreak for SU as its losing streak extended to three games. Woolley fell to the ground, her hands pounding the hardwood. Most other players bowed their heads. What looked to be a signature win in the two teams’ first-ever contest became a haunting defeat for the Orange.
Syracuse’s problems down the stretch mainly stemmed from its inability to rebound the ball. Despite holding a 20-15 rebounding advantage at halftime, the Orange didn’t attack the glass when it mattered most.
Robertson’s buzzer-beater was the icing on her 28-point performance, while Woolley’s 18 paced Syracuse. It didn’t matter, though, as SU shot just 19% from distance and allowed 44 points in the paint.
The Mustangs report
Robertson’s 18.5 points per game last season ranked fourth in the ACC, but Syracuse won’t have to deal with the All-ACC Second Team guard anymore. With her transfer to Tennessee, SMU has looked elsewhere for production, with most coming from Arizona State transfer Tyi Skinner.
Skinner’s 15.1 points a contest lead the Mustangs and rank eighth in the conference, and Zahra King’s 14.1 isn’t far behind. Besides those two, Kyla Deck plays a team-high 34.1 minutes a game with an ACC-third-best 3.7 steals, and Miriam Ibezim hauls in 6.4 rebounds per game.
SMU looked for a fresh start — not just on the court but on its coaching staff, as well. Four-year head coach Toyelle Wilson was relieved by Adia Barnes, Arizona’s head coach from 2016-25. Even with the turnover, the Mustangs are still on track for their eighth losing season in nine years.
How Syracuse beats SMU
SMU’s season has been a turbulent ride so far, with a five-game losing streak following its season-opening win. Since then, it’s won three straight, most recently handily defeating Arkansas in the ACC/SEC Challenge Thursday.
Nine games in, the Mustangs are the definition of a middle-of-the-pack team. Still, they’ve been very solid down low. Defensively, SMU’s 5.2 blocks per game are the 25th-best mark in Division I, per HerHoopStats, while they’ve grabbed 14.7 offensive rebounds a contest, the 56th-best mark.
For Syracuse to defeat SMU, it must look to Uche Izoje, who has dominated in the paint in her inaugural collegiate campaign. She’s recorded 12 blocks across the last two games and is coming off her second-career double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) versus Auburn.
SU also needs to ride its high. Its win over Auburn was a statement. But head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said her team still has a lot left in the tank and is taking one game at a time. Starting conference play on the right foot with a win over the Mustangs would be another defining victory.
Stat to know: 15
Few teams have used the transfer portal like SMU did this offseason. Aside from the three players who came from Barnes’ Wildcats, the Mustangs recruited nationwide, bringing in players from Penn State, Ole Miss, Cal and Stanford, among other schools.
It’ll be difficult for the Orange to scout a team that’s played just nine games together. None of SMU’s 15 players — even the ones from ACC schools — faced SU in the last year. But it’s also a chance for Syracuse to fully avenge its devastating loss last season and flip the page as ACC play begins.
Player to watch: Tyi Skinner, guard, No. 3
Although an Arizona State transfer, Skinner’s ties to Syracuse run deep. In Skinner’s two years with the Sun Devils, SU associate head coach Natasha Adair was in charge, while Orange general manager Mykala Walker served as an assistant coach. Before their stint at ASU, Skinner, Adair and Walker were at Delaware, where they brought the Blue Hens to March Madness in 2022.
Without Adair and Walker for the first time in her career, Skinner has still thrived. The 5-foot-5 graduate student guard directs SMU’s offense with 3.9 assists per game aside from her team-leading points. Even with Adair and Walker’s scouting report, Skinner remains the Mustangs’ biggest threat.
