The Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team is just weeks away from beginning a new season, and it’s time to start looking at what’s ahead in 2026-27.
Dom and Audrey share their thoughts and early predictions for the Orange with the full WBB schedule now out.
Overall thoughts on the 2026-27 schedule?
Dom: The first five games of the season should allow this mostly new team to gel and build chemistry. In both the non-conference and ACC slate, the middle portions ramp up very fast, so the Orange will
need to get off to hot starts in both, survive the middle, and then surge at the end.
Audrey: I feel cautiously optimistic. My biggest worry is the tough ACC slate in late December/early January, but there are a lot of opportunities before and after that stretch to farm some wins for both cushion and momentum.
How are you feeling about the non-con slate?
Dom: To have high hopes of making the tournament, Syracuse must go at least 2-1 against the following opponents it will see in a row: Wisconsin and Auburn in Puerto Rico, then Oklahoma on the road for the ACC/SEC Challenge. Neither Wisconsin nor Auburn are in ESPN’s latest bracketology; Oklahoma is a six seed. Picking up two non-con wins against other P4 schools will do wonders for the resume, but dropping either Wisconsin or Auburn without a dub over Oklahoma could be a blemish that could bite later in the spring.
Audrey: Oklahoma scares me, Auburn will be an adequate opponent, and the rest of the non-conference teams the Orange will face do not strike fear into my heart. I imagine that, should the Orange fall to squads from Southern, Le Moyne, or Bucknell, it will be that the Orange defeated themselves, more than anything their opponents did.
Toughest stretch in the ACC schedule for Syracuse?
Dom: After SMU followed by the last two non-con games, Syracuse gets Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech in consecutive games. All of those are tournament-caliber teams, and it’s such a big ramp-up compared to facing Le Moyne and Bucknell. Of note, that stretch starts after a 10-day gap between Duke and the last non-con game.
Audrey: It has to be the Duke/North Carolina/Virginia Tech stretch or the NC State /Louisville/Virginia stretch. Most of those teams are regularly towards the top of not only the ACC, but the entire Division I standings. Of the aforementioned groups, Syracuse only has a positive historical record against Virginia. All of these teams are equipped to give the Orange a very tough challenge.
Most important stretch in the ACC schedule for Syracuse?
Dom: The entire month of January. Outside Notre Dame, the other seven ACC games this month are against non-tournament projected programs. Going 7-1 with the lone loss being to Notre Dame likely cements a trip to the Big Dance for the Orange if it can perform well in the non-con.
Audrey: January is full of trap games. I think Syracuse will have a better record than, say, Stanford, Cal, and Florida State on each respective game day, but the relative lack of experience on this Orange team may make some of these matchups closer than they ought to be. If ‘Cuse can stay focused and avoid playing down to the level of their competition, I think this is a sneaky opportunity to rack up conference wins heading into the postseason.
Marquee game of the year candidate?
Dom: If the Notre Dame game was later in the schedule, that would be the easy contender. NC State in February is the next-best pick; think this is a worse Wolfpack squad than fans are used to.
Audrey: Picture this: it’s New Year’s Eve, three feet of snow surrounds the JMA Wireless Dome, and for the first time since last season, Sophie Burrows’ name rings on the PA speakers . . . for North Carolina. I understand that tuning into the Syracuse WBB game may not be on the NYE agenda for many, but I think this game will show what this team is made of, for better or for worse. North Carolina is routinely a challenge for the Orange, SU coming up short in their past three matchups, and facing Burrows and company head-on in the Dome can absolutely swing the momentum into the New Year for the Orange.
Early prediction time: what is the floor and ceiling for this year’s team?
Dom: At bare minimum, this is a team that will at least be on the bubble. Izoje is that good to will the Orange to a few more games than expected. I don’t think this is a top-four team in the conference, but it can definitely get to the five-to-eight seed range.
Audrey: This Orange team is big, literally. More than half of the roster exceeds a six-foot frame, with Uche Izoje leading the charge. Coach Jack is excellent at maximizing players, so I expect to see the Orange shine especially on the defensive end of the floor. I anticipate a big leap from Izoje and lots of energy from all the new faces ‘Cuse brought in. Like Dom said, I don’t think this group is past the likes of Duke, Louisville or UNC, but I think they can hang with Notre Dame and NC State in the upper-middle echelon of the ACC and even advance a round or two in the NCAA Tournament.
Now it’s your turn: how are you feeling about the Orange’s 2026-27 schedule? Which women’s basketball games are you looking forward to most this season?
