Syracuse adds 7th-year guard Tyi Skinner from SMU
Syracuse added former SMU guard Tyi Skinner through the transfer portal Tuesday. SU marks Skinner’s fourth school in seven years. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse women’s basketball earned its second transfer commit of the offseason in former SMU guard Tyi Skinner, On3 reported Tuesday. Skinner reunites with SU associate head coach Natasha Adair and general manager Mykala Walker, both of whom coached her at Delaware and Arizona State.
Skinner spent one year with the Mustangs. She appeared in eight games before sustaining a season-ending injury, granting her an extra year of eligibility. The 5-foot-5 guard was sidelined for the entire 2023-24 campaign due to an injury as well.
Despite her tumultuous career, Skinner has been a reliable backcourt option nearly everywhere she’s been. She began her career at Delaware, and her Blue Hens tenure peaked with 12.8 points per game as a sophomore.
Walker said one of her favorite moments coaching Skinner came in that season, when the guard knocked down game-winning free throws in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament Semifinals, lifting Delaware to the finals and, eventually, the NCAA Tournament.
When Adair became ASU’s head coach in 2022, Skinner followed. She averaged over 35 minutes per game across two seasons with the Sun Devils, scoring 19.3 and 16.8 points per game, respectively. She started 59 of her 60 appearances, but her first and last season at Arizona State sandwiched her banged-up 2023-24 campaign.
Adair was fired by ASU in March 2025, and Skinner committed to the Mustangs the next month. Her final game with SMU, coincidentally, came against Syracuse on Dec. 7, 2025, when she dropped three points in 25 minutes.
Skinner now joins former Oregon forward Sarah Rambus as SU’s lone transfer additions thus far. The Orange lost Sophie Burrows, Camdyn Nelson and Madeline Potts through the portal, Laila Phelia to the WNBA and Dominique Darius is waiting for a decision on an extra year of eligibility, leaving Syracuse’s starting point guard spot open for Skinner to fill.
