Syracuse Women’s Basketball Is Winning Big-Now It Needs the City to Buy In
Syracuse women’s basketball is turning heads this season-and not just because of the wins. Under fourth-year head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, the Orange are 16-4 and firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture. ESPN’s latest bracketology has them slotted as a No. 8 seed, and with the way they’re playing, that feels about right.
But for Legette-Jack, the scoreboard tells only part of the story. The real challenge, she says, is building something that lasts. And that takes more than just X’s and O’s-it takes investment.
“No matter how much I passionately say it,” Legette-Jack told reporters Wednesday, “if you guys in this community don’t support me and help me financially get behind what I’m trying to create here - for the love of this great university in this great city - it’s not even going to be possible for even me to continue at this level.”
That’s a bold statement, but it’s one rooted in the realities of modern college athletics. NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) opportunities have changed the game, and Legette-Jack isn’t shy about saying what she needs to compete: more financial backing from the Syracuse community.
And to be clear-this isn’t just about keeping pace. It’s about building a program that can thrive year after year.
That means being able to recruit and retain top-tier talent. Case in point: Uche Izoje, a breakout freshman who’s making a serious case for ACC Rookie of the Year.
She’s averaging 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game-a stat line that speaks for itself.
Legette-Jack wants to find the next Izoje. But to do that, she says, she needs the resources to level the playing field with other top programs.
“I can recruit with the best of them,” she said. “We are getting money taken away from us, but this community is one of the richest communities in the country.
How do I know? Because I did my work-we have about 37 billionaires in the surrounding area.
We have over 80 millionaires right here in the crevice of a 500-mile radius.”
That’s not just a callout-it’s a call to action. Legette-Jack is asking the Syracuse community to see what’s unfolding on the court and match that energy off it.
Back in December, when Syracuse was in the mix for Kaleena Smith-the top-ranked recruit in the 2027 class-Legette-Jack delivered a similar message. She made it clear: talent like that doesn’t just walk through the door. You need NIL backing to even get in the room.
“I need this community to understand, I cannot continue to just be this face that speaks it out,” she said. “They’re not even gonna open the door if you don’t have the (revenue) share and you don’t have the NIL money.”
Still, Legette-Jack isn’t one to fold when the odds are stacked. She’s built programs before-just ask Dyaisha Fair or Stephanie Reid, players she’s discovered and developed into stars.
But she’s honest about the grind. Finding gems like that takes time, hustle, and a whole lot of belief.
“That would be like turning a rock over and over and over again,” she said. “Requiring significant effort.”
What she’s asking for now is support that matches the ambition of the program. The wins are there.
The culture is there. The academics, too-Syracuse women’s basketball is sporting a 3.362 team GPA.
“All we’re asking for is you to see what we’re trying to do,” Legette-Jack said. “See the character and the display when you see the commercials of Syracuse women’s basketball, and then see the results on the basketball court.
“If we can really, honestly, say that is great stuff, prove it.”
It’s not just about this season. It’s about building something bigger-something that lasts.
And right now, Syracuse has the momentum. The question is whether the community will help keep it going.