Previewing Syracuse women’s basketball’s home game against Clemson
Clemson women’s basketball is a projected No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has won five of its last six games before facing SU Sunday. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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When Syracuse last faced Clemson, neither team had much to play for. The Orange entered the Jan. 26, 2025, matchup at 7-12 and 1-7 in conference play. The Tigers were 11-9 and 4-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
A little over a year later, both squads are on the cusp of an NCAA Tournament berth ahead of their duel Sunday. Clemson is on the bubble as a projected No. 12 seed, while the Orange are sitting comfortably as a projected No. 9 seed.
Still, neither team has much room for error with just four games remaining. It’s the time of year when one win — or loss — can alter everything.
Here’s everything to know about Clemson (18-8, 9-5 ACC) before it travels to Syracuse (20-5, 10-4 ACC) Sunday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 13-2.
Last time they played
Last January, the Orange beat Clemson 67-55 at Littlejohn Coliseum for their second ACC win of the year. Despite entering the matchup just 7-12, SU relied on its frontcourt to take down a decent Tigers squad.
Kyra Wood and Izabel Varejão led the way for SU with 16 points each. Wood shot 6-of-14 in 34 minutes while Varejão finished 5-of-9 in just 25 minutes. Georgia Woolley and Maddy Potts both added 13 points — a then-career-high for Potts, although she snapped that Thursday against Pitt.
The Orange went on to lose five of their next seven games, eventually finishing with a 6-12 overall record in the ACC. SU’s nearly doubled that win total this season.
The Tigers report
Second-year head coach Shawn Poppie’s Clemson squad is much improved from this time last year. The Tigers currently sit at No. 39 in the NET rankings, one spot behind Syracuse.
That ranking can be credited to the Tigers’ strength of schedule, which has featured nine Quad 1 games thus far. Clemson is just 2-7 in those contests, picking up big wins over NC State and Notre Dame, while losing to the likes of South Carolina, Louisville and Michigan State. It’s also 1-0 in Quad 2 matchups for an 18-8 overall record. Despite starting the year 3-3, the Tigers have been playing their best ball as of late, winning five of their last six.
Clemson is led by guards Mia Moore and Rusne Augustinaite, who both average over 11 points. They’re the only two Tigers averaging in double figures. Nonetheless, Clemson presents a balanced attack, with six players scoring over eight.
How Syracuse beats Clemson
To stall Clemson’s hot streak, Syracuse must — again — dominate the paint. Few squads have been able to quiet the Orange down low, but the Tigers don’t look like one of them.
Clemson is allowing opponents to shoot 54 field goals a game and make 21 of them, both top-65 marks in the nation. What should really frighten Syracuse is the Tigers’ presence on the glass and ball security. They allow just 30.3 total rebounds per game, the 12th-best mark in the nation. They also only give away 12.7 turnovers a game while limiting opponents to 5.2 steals per contest, both top-20 marks.
Syracuse is at its best when it can force turnovers, create looks in transition and dominate the paint. Clemson looks built to stop that.
Syracuse may need to rely a bit on the outside shot. The Tigers allow opponents to shoot 32.7% from distance, a bottom-65 mark in the country. If SU can rely on its shooters from deep, it’d be a major boost at home Sunday.
Stat to know: 7.8
Clemson is allowing opponents just 7.8 offensive rebounds per game, the third-best average in college basketball. Offensive rebounding has been SU’s strong suit all year, as the Orange are hauling in the sixth-most offensive boards per game in the country at 17.2.
Syracuse’s tenacity on the glass has fueled just about every win it’s had this year. But in each game the Orange have lost this year, they’ve failed to outrebound their opponent. Continuing SU’s dominance on the boards will be key to securing a win.
Player to watch: Mia Moore, guard, No. 12
Moore leads the Tigers’ offense in several categories. The 5-foot-6 UAB transfer is averaging a team-high 12.8 points and 4.8 assists while also chipping in 5.6 rebounds a contest, the squad’s third-best mark.
Just like her team, Moore’s been at her best recently. The senior is averaging 30.5 points over her past two games, dropping 30 against Boston College on Feb. 8, then 31 in an overtime win over Georgia Tech Thursday. She shot over 13 field goals in both, knocking down a combined 19 shots on 31 attempts.
Clemson will go where Moore does. And it’ll need an outside scoring threat to keep up with Syracuse on the road.
