A trio of Syracuse women's basketball players earned Atlantic Coast Conference honors on Tuesday, with freshman Uche Izoje being tabbed in four categories.

Izoje was named the 2026 ACC Rookie of the Year and also earned selections to the All-ACC First Team, Defensive Team and Freshman Team.

Senior Laila Phelia, who transferred to Syracuse after three seasons at Michigan and one at Texas, was selected to the All-ACC Second Team.

It is the third time in four seasons under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack that the Orange have had an All-ACC First Team honoree, as well as the first time in that span that Syracuse has had multiple all-conference players.

Also receiving recognition was junior Sophie Burrows, named the winner of the ACC’s Kay Yow Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year. Named after the late coach at North Carolina State, the Yow award is the conference’s highest individual honor and celebrates a player’s academic achievement and athletic excellence.

Burrows, an Australia native, is a psychology major and has a 3.93 grade-point average. She twice has been named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

"Sophie's recognition as the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year is a reflection of everything she has poured into her time here at Syracuse - in the classroom, on the court, and in our community," said Mary Graham, the faculty athletics representative. "She exemplifies what it means to be a Syracuse student-athlete, achieving both academic and athletic excellence. This honor is a testament to her extraordinary dedication, intellectual curiosity, and competitive excellence. We couldn't be more proud to call her Orange."

Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo was named ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, both for the second consecutive season. Kara Lawson of Duke won ACC Coach of the Year honors.

Izoje, a native of Nigeria, became the third Syracuse player to win a league Rookie of the Year award. She joins Kamilla Cardoso (2021) and Legette-Jack herself, who won the Big East honors in 1985.

The signs were clear that Izoje would win the top rookie award after being named ACC Rookie of the Week eight times this season. In the regular season, she led Syracuse with 15.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, shooting 55.3%. She was a dominant force on defense, averaging 2.62 blocked shots (fourth in nation), and helped the Orange hold opponents to 62.8 points per game.

Offensively, the Orange averaged 75.1 points, aided by Phelia’s 13.8. She shot 86.3% from the foul line and recorded 56 total steals in 28 games.

Burrows, a team captain, averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. 

Syracuse (22-7, 12-6) is the No. 7 seed in the ACC women’s tournament, which begins Wednesday in Duluth, Ga. On Thursday at 5 p.m., the Orange will play the winner of the game between Wake Forest and Cal. ACC Network will televise the action.

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