Syracuse Women’s Basketball Is Heating Up - And the AP Poll Is Starting to Notice
Syracuse women’s basketball is turning heads - and now, they’re finally getting a little love in the rankings to show for it.
After ripping off three straight wins, including a heart-stopping triple-overtime thriller and a statement victory over a perennial national powerhouse, the Orange have received votes in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. It’s not a full-on ranking just yet, but those four votes signal something important: people are starting to take this team seriously again.
It’s the first time Syracuse has appeared on the AP radar since the end of the 2023-24 season - a campaign that saw Dyaisha Fair climb the all-time scoring charts and the Orange make a second-round NCAA Tournament run before falling to UConn. That team finished ranked No.
- This year’s squad?
They might be even more balanced, and their ceiling could be just as high.
A New-Look Orange, Built to Compete
What’s different this time around? For starters, this isn’t just a one-star show. This year’s Syracuse team is deeper, more versatile, and has found a potent mix of youth and experience.
Leading the charge is Michigan transfer Laila Phelia, who’s taken over as the team’s top scorer at 14.2 points per game. She’s already had her breakout moment - a 38-point explosion in a win over Virginia that put the rest of the ACC on notice.
Then there’s Iche Uzoje, a freshman who’s playing like anything but. The 6-foot-3 center has already claimed four ACC Rookie of the Week honors, averaging 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She’s not just producing - she’s dominating the paint and giving Syracuse a physical presence they haven’t had in years.
Dominique Darius, a transfer from Southern California and daughter of former Syracuse football standout Donovin Darius, has provided the clutch gene. She’s averaging 11.9 points per game, but her biggest contribution might have been her latest one - a game-winning three-pointer in triple overtime to lift Syracuse past California, 90-87. That shot didn’t just win the game - it might’ve been the moment that cracked the door open for Syracuse in the national rankings.
And Darius didn’t stop there. She followed up that heroics with 26 points against Stanford, a program with three national championships to its name. That kind of back-to-back performance doesn’t go unnoticed.
Climbing the ACC Ladder
Syracuse’s recent surge has come against high-quality competition. Wins over Virginia, California, and Stanford - all respected programs - have pushed the Orange to 16-3 overall and 6-2 in ACC play, good for a tie for third place in the conference standings.
The top of the ACC is still crowded. Louisville and Duke are both unbeaten in conference play and tied for first.
Louisville is currently the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 8 in the AP Poll, while Duke sits at No. 21.
Syracuse, with four votes, joins North Carolina (42), Notre Dame (37), and NC State (4) in the “also receiving votes” category.
It’s a logjam - but Syracuse is firmly in the mix.
Looking Ahead
Right now, Syracuse is projected as a No. 9 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology. That’s a solid position, but with the way this team is trending, there’s room to climb. The Orange have momentum, a balanced roster, and a handful of players capable of taking over games.
Meanwhile, UConn remains the gold standard, sitting atop the AP Poll with an 18-0 record and all 30 first-place votes. But if Syracuse keeps stacking wins - and delivering moments like Darius’ dagger three - it’s only a matter of time before they’re not just receiving votes, but earning a number next to their name again.
This team is starting to look like a real threat in the ACC - and possibly beyond.