Syracuse women’s basketball: initial takeaways from the new-look Orange’s only exhibition game

Syracuse won in a blowout, but the real story is how all the roster makeover played out on the court.

After an offseason filled with plenty of change, the Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team returned to the court for the first time since late-March to play its lone exhibition game before the start of the upcoming season.

Syracuse dominated from the jump Tuesday night versus Daemen, going up 28-10 after the the first quarter and leading by 32 points at halftime en route to a 90-50 win in the JMA Wireless Dome. Of course, the main topic of interest is how coach Felisha Legette-Jack and the Orange performed with six new players taking the court, four of whom are first-year players.

With just one exhibition game to go off of, here are some initial takeaways from Syracuse’s first unofficial game of the 2024-25 season:

Freshman forward duo impresses

Despite losing a top recruit in Alyssa Latham to the transfer portal during the offseason, two 2024 prospects both shined at the forward spots right from the jump.

Keira Scott (16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal) and Shy Hawkins (16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists) started the game off the bench but quickly made an impact with their two-way versatility. Individually, and although it’s early, each does bring a unique set of skills last year’s Orange didn’t really have.

Scott brings physicality and offensive finesse primarily at the four, and it looks like she’ll have a fair share of touches around the basket or in the mid-range area. There’s potential for her to emerge as a secondary scorer behind some of Syracuse’s lead guards, but her versatility can compliment any of the program’s returning forward and center depth. if the rebounding is legit and the scoring is at least consistent, she’ll have a critical role moving forward.

On the wing, Hawkins gives Syracuse someone who actually has legit size at the three. She isn’t the shooter Alaina Rice was from three, but her frame could help the Orange match up more favorably against some of the bigger wings in the ACC the team will see down the road.

FLJ should have plenty of versatility to work with down low. Including Scott and Hawkins, there’s also Kyra Wood (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Journey Thompson (5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks). Don’t forget Izabel Varejão and Saniaa Wilson either, both returning veterans at center.

Both Scott and Hawkins will benefit from the early non-conference schedule as FLJ taps into the new freshman forward pairing early on.

Finding consistency from three

With some key departures in the offseason (namely Rice and Dyaisha Fair), Syracuse is going to need to make up some of the three-point shooting lost to open things up for Georgia Woolley and all the bigger forwards on the roster.

In the exhibition, Syracuse only shot 5/17 from three. The promising sign: there are at least more players who are willing to take them.

Freshman Madeline Potts (5 points, 1/6 from three) wasn’t afraid to let the threes fly from the outside. New guards Angelica Velez and Olivia Schmitt each took a pair, Sophie Burrows had a few looks in limited minutes and there’s still Georgia Woolley (who did not play in the exhibition).

Getting consistent outside shooting is going to be one of the biggest x-factors for Syracuse going forward, especially if offense is tough to come by.

Early signs of life without Dyaisha

The top story heading into this year: how will the Orange look offensively without Fair, who played at an All-American level last season and led the program in scoring by far and away the past two years?

Woolley will handle more of an on-ball road along the perimeter, but after that, it’s clear there is still a lot of unknown.

The fast break offense might be Syracuse’s key to helping to make up the scoring lost by Fair leaving. If the Orange can take advantage of their improved size across the board and force turnovers, a fast break might turn out a lot better results than something in the half-court.

Another key difference: with Syracuse’s depth at forward, there might be more of a mentality to attack the basket rather than rely on perimeter shooting. That includes second-chance points, paint points, foul shots, etc.

Again, early in the year, identifying what the “scoring hierarchy” looks like is still up in the air.

Syracuse will return to the Dome for its season-opener next Tuesday night versus Niagara.

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Now it’s your turn: what are your first impressions of the Orange in their lone exhibition game?