Felisha Legette-Jack and co. had an outstanding 2023-24 season. Can they build off that success? Here is a 2024-25 Syracuse Basketball Preview.
Syracuse Basketball Preview 2024-2025
Last year, Syracuse Women’s Basketball went 24-8, finished 2nd in the ACC, and advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. This marked the first time they had made it to the second round since the 2020-2021 season. Additionally, Coach Legette-Jack was named the ACC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, acknowledging the stellar job the Cuse alumni has done reshaping the program. So where do they go from here?
According to The Next’s transfer tracker, Syracuse lost 2023-2024 ACC All-Freshman Alyssa Latham (Tennessee), Cheyenne McEvans (Florida A&M), Kennedi Perkins (Marquette), and Marilena Trianafylli (Saint Louis) to the portal. Additionally, seniors Dyaisha Fair (WNBA), Alaina Rice (Graduation), and Izabel Varejao (Graduation) have departed. With the team losing 3 of their starters from last season, some new talent needed to be brought in.
Transfer Portal Time for Orange
Wasting no time filling in the roster, Coach Legette-Jack got right to work. The Orange landed junior forward Journey Thompson and sophomore guard Angelica Velez. Thompson is transferring from Arizona State where she started 25 of 31 games for the Lady Sun Devils. At 6’3″, Thompson can provide some much needed size in the Orange front court. Velez comes from Elite 8 Runner-up LSU, and is from downstate Bronx, NY. She didn’t get a lot of playing time with LSU’s loaded roster. However, coming out of high school she was a 4-star prospect and was also the No. 44 ranked player in the Class of 2023. With the departure of Fair and Rice, Velez should get ample playing time this upcoming season. She displayed great ball handling and a nice touch in the few minutes she got last year.
Fully-Loaded Freshman Class
Syracuse is welcoming in a superb 2024 freshman class, led by 4-star recruit Keira Scott. Scott is no. 85 out of the top 100 2024 Hoopgurlz Recruiting Rankings. Her father George Scott, played for Syracuse Football and she participated in the 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival, winning the tournament with the South Region team. Orange also landed Australian product Madeline Potts, a 6-foot combo guard from Australia. Potts averaged 21 points per game in the 2023 VJBL and will join the team this winter.
Keira Scott’s teammate, Olivia Schmitt, will be an incoming freshman as well. A 5-foot-5 point guard from NYC, Schmitt is a tough-nosed player who isn’t afraid to get in the paint and mix things up. Fellow New Yorker Ka’Shya Hawkins rounds out the class. Coming from Long Island Lutheran, in Hawkin’s junior year she helped the team achieve a 22-3 record and a state championship.
Orange Get Invite to Early Season Tournament
Syracuse Women’s Basketball will take place in the inaugural Emerald Coast Classic at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fl. on November 25 and 26th.
The tournament, presented by Global Sports, will be divided into 2 brackets. Orange will be in the Beach Bracket with Creighton, Missouri and Wichita State. The Bay Bracket will feature Alabama, Alabama State, UAB, and Clemson.
It’ll be hard for the team to bounce back after the loss of key players from last season. Yet, Felisha Legette-Jack has shown she has what it takes to lead this team in the right direction. Perhaps she isn’t quite done in the transfer portal just yet.
