4 players remain on Syracuse’s roster. Who’s entered the transfer portal?
The NCAA women’s basketball transfer portal opened Monday. Her are the seven Syracuse players who have already hit the portal thus far. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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Before her team’s NCAA Tournament First Round matchup against Iowa State, Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said the basketball calendar is split into four seasons: the preseason, the nonconference slate, the conference slate and the postseason.
For any team that wants to reach that fourth season, there’s never truly an offseason. To have sustained success, something Syracuse hasn’t quite achieved under Legette-Jack, the preseason must start immediately after the postseason.
After Syracuse’s 2025-26 campaign ended with a far-from-ideal blowout loss to UConn on the first weekend of March Madness, the Orange didn’t have time to rest. The next phase of Legette-Jack’s cycle began the second the buzzer sounded at Gampel Pavilion.
It started with some fantastic news: the return of reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje. The center could’ve walked into just about any starting five in the country had she transferred, but she elected to stay at Syracuse and invest in Legette-Jack.
Given the investment it likely took to get Izoje back, though, the Orange could never keep their whole roster intact. The rest of their offseason has been riddled with departures thus far. Add on Laila Phelia’s graduation and the uncertainty surrounding Dominique Darius’ battle for another year of eligibility, and SU’s roster looks less familiar by the day.
Seven Syracuse players have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal, which opened Monday. That leaves SU with just four rostered players. Here are the names who have entered the portal so far:
Justus Fitzgerald, forward, freshman
Justus Fitzgerald became SU’s first player to enter the transfer portal on March 31, she announced via Instagram. Fitzgerald played in just 11 games in her freshman year, averaging 2.0 points per game on 50% shooting from the field.
Fitzgerald was part of Syracuse’s four-player freshman class, alongside Izoje, Jasmyn Cooper and Camdyn Nelson. She was an unranked recruit out of Roswell, Georgia.
Her departure doesn’t appear to be a major blow to Syracuse’s rotation. Fitzgerald played a team-low 88 minutes this season. Her next destination will likely be outside of the Power Four, where she’ll seek more playing time.
Sophie Burrows, guard, junior
Syracuse’s biggest loss of the portal cycle thus far is easily Sophie Burrows, who announced her intention to enter the portal Wednesday. Burrows spent three years with the Orange, making 65 starts in her career and averaging 11 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season.
Burrows came to SU primarily as a 3-point specialist, but her role increased in her final two years with the Orange. As a sophomore, Burrows averaged a career-high 12.2 points per game, shot a career-high 41.1% from the field and 39.6% from 3.
Burrows entered her junior year as Syracuse’s top returner, joining forces with Izoje, Phelia and Darius to establish SU’s core. She evolved into a more complete player, averaging career-highs in rebounds (5.8), steals (1.9) and blocks (0.9) per game.
Bringing back Izoje meant the Orange would likely have to let another key piece walk. Burrows — whose two seasons as a Power Four starting-caliber wing likely warrant a significant name, image and likeness investment — was one of them. She’ll likely join another Power Four contender.
Now, Syracuse will search for a player in the portal or develop one of its own prospects to replace Burrows, its 3-and-D specialist.
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Madeline Potts, guard, sophomore
Syracuse lost another Australian 3-point shooter on April 1, when Madeline Potts announced her intention to enter the portal one hour after Burrows.
Potts averaged 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game across two seasons with the Orange. She also started three games and made 47 appearances across two years with SU. Potts most recently averaged 3.5 points in just 9.1 minutes a game in her sophomore year, but showed flashes of being a sustainable bench piece with five games over 10 points.
Potts was primarily utilized as a spot-up 3-point shooter, shooting 34.6% from deep in her time at Syracuse. Yet, in the postseason, Potts filled in as SU’s point guard to replace the injured Darius.
Syracuse now must look elsewhere for some additional 3-point shooting off the bench.
Shy Hawkins, wing, sophomore
Hawkins became SU’s fourth player to enter the portal when she announced she’d be leaving Friday. The sophomore wing established herself as the Orange’s fifth starter alongside Izoje, Darius, Phelia and Burrows with 17 starts across her second campaign.
When she did start, Hawkins was relied upon heavily as a wing defender who could occasionally work her way for a bucket. In Phelia’s absence against Stanford on Jan. 18, Hawkins played a team-high 39 minutes and scored 10 points. She also scored a season-high 13 points against Stony Brook in the season opener.
But outside of those highlights, Hawkins was a sporadic member of the rotation. When she wasn’t in the starting lineup, she was sometimes left out of the game plan entirely, while Journey Thompson, Cooper, Aurora Almón and Keira Scott took over at the 3 and the 4. Hawkins averaged 5.4 points in 15.9 minutes per game this year.
While Hawkins’ production certainly wasn’t eye popping, her departure means the Orange must replace another starting-caliber player.
Camdyn Nelson, guard, freshman
Syracuse’s fifth portal entry came from Nelson, a former four-star recruit in the class of 2025. Nelson played in 19 games for SU in her freshman year, making three starts. She announced her intent to enter the portal Sunday.
Out of St. Luke’s School in Connecticut, Nelson looked to have all the tools to be SU’s point guard of the future. She won Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists a game.
Nelson entered a thin point guard room at Syracuse, where she could immediately contend for the starting job. Before Darius established herself as SU’s go-to point guard, Nelson started the Orange’s first three games of the season. But in 62 minutes, she combined for six points and seven assists on 2-of-12 shooting.
Nelson never really got another opportunity throughout the rest of her freshman campaign, averaging just seven minutes across her final 16 games. She finished the year tallying 1.4 points and 1.4 assists per game.
Her departure, along with Phelia’s graduation and Burrows’ and Potts’ transfers, leaves the Orange with just two backcourt players on the roster: Olivia Schmitt and Angelica Velez.
Aurora Almón, forward, sophomore
Syracuse lost more frontcourt depth when Almón entered her name into the transfer portal Monday. The redshirt sophomore averaged 1.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 29 appearances with SU.
Almón spent her first two years at Miami. She redshirted as a freshman before averaging 5.2 minutes per game across 15 appearances as a sophomore for the Hurricanes.
After arriving at Syracuse last offseason, Almón’s main role was to back up Izoje and grab rebounds. She had four games with over eight boards, including 14 in a season-high 32 minutes against Cal on Jan. 15. Her departure means the Orange will need to find some new faces to relieve their star center.
Jasmyn Cooper, guard, freshman
Cooper became the third Syracuse freshman to hit the portal when she entered Monday morning. Outside of Izoje, Cooper was SU’s best freshman this season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.1 rebounds across 24 appearances.
Cooper averaged 10.8 minutes a game and made three starts, but never carved out a significant role. She eclipsed 10 points just once, tallying 11 in SU’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament loss to Louisville on March 6. Nonetheless, Cooper was a decently reliable presence from 3-point range, shooting 30.4% from deep.
Cooper was Syracuse’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, rated a four-star and the nation’s 60th overall prospect. Before she inked her commitment to SU, Cooper starred at Noble & Greenough School in Massachusetts. Now, the Orange must replace another solid bench option.
