Safely in Big Dance field, Syracuse women's basketball has 'obliterated' expectations

Syracuse women's basketball will hear its name called on Selection Sunday, multiple bracketologists say.

The Orange was forecast to finish at No. 13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, according to the league's preseason poll. However, the 'Cuse ended its 2025-26 regular season at 22-7 overall and 12-6 in ACC contests, good for a tie for No. 5 in the conference standings.

A tremendous achievement for head coach Felisha Legette-Jack and her team. Charlie Creme, ESPN's bracketologist, said in an interview with Syracuse.com: “I think everybody that follows the Syracuse women’s program should be pretty happy with the season they’ve had. They exceeded, I think, everybody’s expectations. Certainly, those of the people who vote for conference preseason polls, they obliterated that."

Indeed, Charlie. Indeed.

Syracuse women's basketball will go dancing this month in March Madness.

Last week, at the 2026 ACC Tournament in Duluth, Ga., the Orange went 1-1, giving the 'Cuse an overall record of 23-8 heading into Selection Sunday, which is on March 15, beginning at 8:00 pm EST on ESPN.

Here is where SU is forecast in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, according to the latest bracketology projections:
CBS Sports: No. 8 seed
ESPN: No. 9 seed
Her Hoop Stats: No. 10 seed
USA Today: No. 9 seed

Now, with those predictions, the Orange would likely have to face either a No. 1 seed or a No. 2 seed in the second round - assuming Syracuse women's basketball wins its first game in the upcoming Big Dance. "Even if it ends in the first round, I think it’s a very successful season," Creme said.

The issue for the 'Cuse post-season resume is that SU went just 1-7 in quadrant-one games in 2025-26, and a combined 22-1 in the other three quadrants. That's why the team's NCAA NET ranking is No. 40, which is fine, but not great.

Still, it's proven a special term for Syracuse women's basketball, given the preseason expectations. There have been individual accolades beyond the squad's collective performance. Freshman center Uche Izoje is the ACC rookie of the year (among other honors), senior guard Laila Phelia is on the All-ACC second team and junior guard Sophie Burrows is the conference's Kay Yow scholar-athlete of the year.

Added Creme: “The way Coach Jack was able to put together this roster, there’s some hope for the future, too. I guess we can’t presume anybody’s going to be back at any program anymore, but you’d like to think a foundation in which to work from again next year and sort of having the program rebuilt to a point where it’s kind of churning out these seasons pretty regularly."