Syracuse and UConn replay NCAA Tournament Showdown
By Mason Katz
Syracuse Women’s Basketball made the trip to Mohegan Sun to tip off their 2026-2027 season, facing the team that ended their previous season, the UConn Huskies.
The Huskies had a dominant matchup versus the Orange, resulting in an 88-60 win for UConn. However, one positive for Syracuse was the performance of some of the new players this season.
Iowa transfer junior guard Emely Rodriguez led the Orange with 14 points, including two made threes, and fifth-year SMU transfer Tyi Skinner put up 12 points. Syracuse shot the ball rough, with a total team field goal percentage of just 35 percent and 31 percent from three.
UConn, on the other hand, shot significantly better from the field, 47 percent as a team. But struggled from three, shooting a mere 13 percent. The Huskies’ leading scorer, Sarah Strong, had an impressive game, tallying 15 points and six rebounds in just 26 minutes played.
Syracuse trailed 23-8 after the first, but bounced back and put together a dominant 2nd quarter. Outscoring UConn 21-15, fueled heavily by a 10-2 run, to cut the deficit from 15 to just 9. When headed into the break, the Orange trailed 38-29.
The second half played out similarly for Syracuse. The biggest difference came inside the paint and with ball security. UConn finished the game with a 56-24 advantage in points in the paint, while the Orange committed a team total of 17 turnovers. The Huskies’ defensive pressure and pressing made it difficult for Syracuse to maintain possession and establish a collective rhythm.
Head coach Felisha Leggette-Jack will head back to the drawing board and regroup with her squad before the official tipoff of the long-awaited regular season. The team will have several key areas to address based on this exhibition: limiting turnovers, improving interior defense, and keeping consistent momentum on offense.
Syracuse’s first matchup will be on Nov. 3 in the Dome versus Sacred Heart. This will be the Orange’s first taste of regular-season play this year, with hopes of returning back to the NCAA Tournament once again in March, for the 11th time in the past 14 seasons (not including the 2020 shortened season).
