Syracuse women's basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack is happy her team is being recognized nationally with the Orange's first ranking in three years, but she is focused on bigger things.
“Carolina is next, then Boston College, which lost to Duke at Duke by five,” Legette-Jack said. “That’s who’s after that. No time to rest on your laurels, not in this conference. ... Our number isn’t one yet. so we’re still hungry and coming.”
The Orange (11-1) are off to their best start since 2018 and entered The Associated Press women's basketball poll Monday for the first time since 2021, coming in at No. 25.
Legette-Jack said that while it was too early in the season to focus on rankings, she has learned to appreciate things more heading into 2024. Last year wasn’t the easiest for the Syracuse grad who returned to her alma mater to coach in 2022. She found out over the summer that she had a non-cancerous brain tumor that was removed right at the start of the basketball season.
She missed the first month of practice after the surgery and returned for the team’s first exhibition game.
“It was really scary, three MRIs and 10 CAT scans later,” Legette-Jack recalled. “It was traumatic, but I can talk about it now. I can’t believe I went through all that and got through it.”
Legette-Jack is excited for the group she has that's led by grad Dyaisha Fair, who followed her from Buffalo. Fair is 73 points short of 3,000 in her career and hit a couple of late 3-pointers to help the Orange upset then-No. 13 Notre Dame on Sunday.
“Her humility is most important,” Legette-Jack said of the fifth-year player. “She’s so not thinking about her 3,000 points; she wants to be on a team that creates something and leaves her legacy.”
Syracuse also has a stellar freshman in Alyssa Latham, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Notre Dame.
“She can score on all three levels, shoot the 3-ball, get to the rim,” Legette-Jack said. “She's a shot blocker and runs the floor like a deer. Her IQ is up there with the best of them.”