Izoje Named ACC Rookie of the Year, Phelia Earns All-ACC Second Team Honors
3/3/2026 5:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Syracuse women's basketball earned a pair of ACC postseason honors as freshman Uche Izoje was named the 2026 ACC Rookie of the Year earning All-ACC First Team, All-ACC Defensive Team and All-ACC Freshman Team selections, while senior Laila Phelia claimed an All-ACC Second Team honor, the league announced Tuesday. It marks the first time in the last four seasons that Syracuse has placed multiple players on the All-ACC team in the same season and the third time in four years that the Orange have had an All-ACC First Team selection under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
Izoje's awards were voted on by both the league's head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel, while Phelia's All-ACC Second Team honor was selected by the league's head coaches.
Izoje's arrival in Syracuse has been nothing short of historic. The native of Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, is the most decorated freshman in the ACC this season, capping a remarkable debut with the conference's most prestigious rookie award. She is the first Syracuse player to win ACC Rookie of the Year since Kamilla Cardoso (2021)Â and just the third Orange rookie to be named Rookie of the Year in their conference, joining Cardoso and Legette-Jack herself, who won the 1985 Big East Rookie of the Year award.
It was a performance worthy of every accolade. Izoje claimed ACC Rookie of the Week honors a conference-best eight times this season — a testament to her sustained dominance from the opening tip of November through the final weeks of the regular season. On the court, she led the Orange with 15.0 points per game on an efficient .553 field goal percentage while racking up 9.3 rebounds per game. Her impact on the defensive end was equally staggering — Izoje swatted 76 blocks on the season, anchoring a Syracuse defense that held opponents to just 62.8 points per game. In 29 starts, she totaled 434 points, 271 rebounds and 76 blocks, establishing herself as the cornerstone of the Orange's 22-7 campaign and 12-6 finish in ACC play. Her 271 rebounds this season broke Legette-Jack's freshman record at Syracuse from the 1984-85 season.
In her first season in Syracuse, Phelia proved to be one of the most dynamic and versatile players in the ACC. The senior contributed 13.8 points per game while shooting .863 from the free-throw line and connecting on 39 three-pointers on the year. Her 56 steals led the team and ranked among the conference's best, while her ability to create off the dribble and knock down shots from all three levels made her one of the Orange's most dangerous offensive weapons. Her veteran presence alongside Izoje helped fuel Syracuse's most productive offensive season under Legette-Jack, as the Orange averaged 75.1 points per game and outscored opponents by more than 12 points per contest.
Syracuse earned the 7-seed in the upcoming Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament which begins Wednesday, March 3 at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga. The Orange will face the winner of Wake Forest and Cal on Thursday at 5 p.m. on ACC Network.Â
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