Syracuse women’s basketball: the Orange picked to make 2024 NCAA tournament in early projection

Can head coach Felisha Legette-Jack and the Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team’s dream of making the NCAA Tournament come to fruition? It’s (way) too early, but so far, the Orange’s postseason chances seem attainable in 2023-24.

According to Charlie Creme’s latest ESPN bracketology projections for the 2024 season, Syracuse ranks as a “Last Four In” program to make the tournament. They are one of nine ACC teams slated to be in the mix for a postseason bid in some capacity. The other eight ACC teams slated to make the tournament by Creme are: Notre Dame, Duke, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

This year, Syracuse surpassed its preseason expectations and found its way into the tournament conversation with around a month to go in the season. The Orange picked up key wins against North Carolina and Miami while staying competitive against ACC juggernauts like Notre Dame, Duke, and Florida State.

The Orange fell short in their NCAA tournament bid, falling to NC State 83-58 in the ACC Tournament, but they received a bid for this year’s Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Syracuse defeated Kent State and Seton Hall by double-digits before losing at Columbia in the Round of 16.

Syracuse will look to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2020-2021 season. It’s still too early to call, but the Orange are in a much stronger position than they were at this point last year.