Syracuse women’s basketball is back with a roster built around its brightest star and a batch of newcomers meant to fill the gaps.
The Orange returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second time under Felisha Legette-Jack last season, finishing 24-9 overall and 12-6 in the ACC before earning a No. 9 seed and falling to top-seeded UConn in the second round. After that run, Syracuse had to replace a lot of production: six of its top eight scorers moved on through graduation or the transfer portal. The good news for SU was that leading scorer and ACC Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje stayed put.
From there, Syracuse pieced together a roster with four veteran transfers, two international additions and two freshmen, all with the goal of giving Izoje the kind of help that can turn a good team into a deeper one.
Here’s a look at the group:
Uche Izoje remains the centerpiece. The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, averaged 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds last season as a freshman and also established herself as one of the ACC’s best rim protectors. Legette-Jack called her Syracuse’s “superstar” and the player the team is built around, with the Orange hoping for an All-American leap this year.
The frontcourt around her got some real reinforcements. Jaleesa Molina, a 6-foot-3 senior from The Hague, Netherlands, arrives after starting 60 games over the last two years at Temple.
She averaged 9.9 points and 7.4 rebounds last season and shot better than 60% at the rim on good volume. Sarah Rambus, a 6-foot-3 senior from Flint, Mich., joins after playing in 100 games over three seasons at Oregon, where she averaged 6.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in about 15 minutes per game last season and shot 54% from the field.
Another transfer with major upside is Emely Rodriguez, a 6-foot wing from La Romana, Dominican Republic. Legette-Jack said Rodriguez is a “prototype pro” and said she has the chance to be one of the best players in the ACC if she can stay healthy. Rodriguez was strong as a freshman at UCF, averaging 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, but played only six games for Iowa last year.
Syracuse also added a familiar guard in Tyi Skinner, a fifth-year player from Washington, D.C. Skinner is in her seventh year of college basketball and brings stops at Delaware, Arizona State and SMU, along with experience playing under current SU associate head coach Natasha Adair at both Delaware and Arizona State. She averaged as many as 19 points per game at the power-conference level and gives Syracuse a quick, skilled scoring guard if she can stay healthy and settle into what Legette-Jack wants from her.
The guard rotation includes several returners. Olivia Schmitt, a junior from Staten Island, N.Y., hit 10 triples during the regular season and ACC tournament before making five 3s in Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament win over Iowa State.
She’s a pass-first point guard and one of the team’s player-voted captains. Angelica Velez, a senior from the Bronx, is also in the captain group and has become a steady part of the point guard rotation over three seasons with the program.
She averaged 11.4 minutes last year, though her shooting was an issue, as she hit just 28.8% from the field. Shy Hawkins, a junior from Mastic Beach, N.Y., rounds out that group as a wing option; she averaged 5.4 points and 2.2 rebounds last season while shooting 41% from the field.
Keira Scott gives Syracuse another versatile piece. The junior forward from Falls Church, Va., can line up as a wing or power forward, though she said on media day that she is more focused on the wing this season because she sees that as her natural spot. She’s also one of the player-voted captains.
There are two freshmen from New York City in the mix as well. Madison Howard, a 5-foot-8 guard from the Bronx, committed to Syracuse last fall after becoming a 2,000-point scorer at Monsignor Scanlan High School.
She built her reputation on getting paint touches, drawing fouls and making a loud defensive impact. Destiny Robinson, a 6-foot freshman from Queens, committed after her senior year at St.
Mary’s College Prep, where she won two NSCHSAA Player of the Year awards and helped lead the program to a league championship. Legette-Jack praised her winning DNA.
Syracuse also added two international freshmen late in the offseason. Elif Çayir, a 5-foot-10 guard from Ankara, Türkiye, is 21 and has played at the senior level in her home country.
She joined the roster in July and can help with ball handling. Célaine Ricco, a 20-year-old guard from Melun, Seine-et-Marne, France, has represented France at the U18, U19 and U20 levels and played for UsoMondeville at the U18 level.
She logged five minutes in the fourth quarter of the exhibition loss to UConn.
The last name on the roster is another option in the post: senior center Sarah Rambus, who adds more size next to Izoje and is expected to take a step forward.
Syracuse’s roster is different now, but the formula is clear. Izoje is the anchor, and everything else is built to support her.
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