Previewing Syracuse’s 3rd ACC matchup against Florida State
After making the NCAA Tournament Second Round last season, Florida State women’s basketball is off to just a 5-9 start to the 2025-26 campaign. Matthew Crisafulli | Contributing Photographer
Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.
If Syracuse women’s basketball could pick one New Year’s resolution, it’d be flipping its Atlantic Coast Conference fortune on its head.
In the 2025 calendar year, SU went 7-13 in ACC contests. Last January, it went 2-6 in conference play. That contributed to a measly 12-18 campaign last season, Syracuse’s worst single-season record under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
The Orange looked to have put those struggles in the rearview after starting the 2025-26 campaign at a scorching-hot 11-1, but they were dominated by Duke in their ACC home opener Dec. 28.
Now, the Orange have a key opportunity to start 2026 on the right foot against Florida State on New Year’s Day. Here’s everything to know about the Seminoles (5-9, 0-2 ACC) before they take on Syracuse (11-2, 1-1 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome Thursday:
All-time series
Florida State leads 8-6.
Last time they played
The Seminoles took down Syracuse 85-73 in Tallahassee Jan. 5, 2025. The Orange had a well-balanced attack offensively, with four players in double figures, including Sophie Burrows’ team-high 14, yet SU was outscored by 15 in the second half en route to the double-digit loss.
Syracuse outperformed FSU in almost every offensive category, shooting 40.3% from the field and 41.2% from deep. However, SU turned the ball over 22 times to Florida State’s 16, and Seminoles guard Ta’niya Latson exploded for a game-high 25 points. Makayla Timpson and O’mariah Gordon also turned in 17 and 16 points, respectively.
The Seminoles Report
Florida State enters Thursday’s matchup just 5-9 and 0-2 in conference play. The Seminoles nonconference slate was unforgiving, dropping games to four Southeastern Conference teams, two Big Ten teams, unranked College of Charleston and consensus No. 1 UConn. Then, they lost to both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech by over 20 points to kick off ACC play.
It was especially difficult for a squad that lacks familiarity. FSU returned just two players from last season’s NCAA Tournament team. The Seminoles went 24-9 before a second-round exit in March.
One of the key losses was leading scorer Latson, who transferred to South Carolina this offseason. However, FSU added two more viable scorers in Texas A&M transfer Solé Williams and Texas Tech transfer Jasmine Shavers, who lead the offense with 14.8 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. They’ve helped restore FSU’s offense, which has scored the 44th-most points of 363 Division I teams, per HerHoopStats.
However, it hasn’t been enough to return the Seminoles to the same heights they reached last season. Florida State’s already matched last season’s loss total, primarily due to its defense. While FSU ranks top-70 in points scored per game, it’s bottom-20 in Division I with 76.9 points allowed per game.
How Syracuse beats Florida State
To start the year with a conference victory, the Orange simply can’t go cold like they did against Duke, when SU shot 34.4% from the field and 16.7% from 3. Syracuse leapt out to an early advantage, but when the shots stopped falling inside, it couldn’t hang around for long, scoring a season-low 51 points in the process.
Yes, Florida State’s defense appears to be far worse than the Blue Devils, but its offense should be more than enough to keep it in the game. The Seminoles also block and rebound the ball quite well, albeit not better than Syracuse’s top-20 total rebounding mark. Still, those two factors mean it’ll be a game won and lost inside the arc. Florida State stacks up relatively well, making this game a legitimate challenge for the Orange.
However, Syracuse can separate itself on defense. Florida State can be careless with the ball at times, boasting one of the worst turnover margins in the conference. Syracuse will be afforded extra possessions, and, if it can make them count by shooting efficiently, it should start 2026 on a high.
Stat to know: 76.9
The Seminoles have done well to patch the gaps offensively but have been run out of the gym by squads who can score the ball efficiently. The defining number behind Florida State’s slow start is its 76.9 points allowed per game.
In fact, you could take your pick of defensive stats, and Florida State is probably towards the bottom. The Seminoles have allowed over 80 points in six of their 14 games, while Syracuse has only allowed an opponent to eclipse that mark once. While FSU has played one more game than most squads in Division I, they rank bottom-5 in total points allowed, 2-pointers allowed and field goals allowed.
Simply put, Florida State can score the ball, but hasn’t proved it can stop opponents from doing the same. Syracuse needs to attack one of the nation’s poorest defenses early and often to outduel the high-octane Seminole offense.
Player to watch: Solé Williams, guard, No. 15
Williams, who’s off to a hot start to her junior season, will be Florida State’s primary threat on the perimeter. The Texas A&M transfer leads the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game while pouring in seven performances of over 15 points.
Her only issue, though, is her lack of efficiency, especially as of late. Williams only shoots 39.3% from the field on 12.9 shots a game. She hasn’t cracked the 15-point mark since Nov. 30, despite averaging 12.8 field goal attempts per game in that span.
Still, Williams has proved she can be a microwave scorer for the Seminoles in spurts. It won’t be an easy matchup for her, as she’ll likely be guarded by Dominique Darius and Laila Phelia for the majority of the evening. But if she can get going to kickstart the FSU attack, the Seminoles should stick stride-for-stride with the Orange.
