Uche Izoje took to social media after the Orange saw their season end on Monday at the hands of No. 1 Connecticut.
The Syracuse women's basketball season came to end on Monday night via a 98-45 loss in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.
The Orange were walloped by the No. 1 ranked and undefeated (36-0) UConn Huskies. Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack offered up comments in the postgame that went viral, as she said she's tired of Syracuse getting paired in the same "pod" with Connecticut.
The Huskies have eliminated the Orange in four of there last six NCAA Tournament appearances. This year's Huskies are favored to win the program's 13th national championship and finish the seventh perfect season in school history.
As our own Brady Farkas documented earlier this month, there are a lot of different ways to feel about Legette-Jack's comments.
Legette-Jack was not the only one to make public comments following the loss to the Huskies. Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje took to Instagram to share a message to Orange fans.
Uche Izoje's message to fans
Izoje shared this message to social media:
We took a tough loss to UConn and I’m not gonna lie, it hurts. Seeing that score and hearing everything people have to say isn’t easy. Coming all the way from Japan to the states to play basketball was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made even though it wasn’t easy, I didn’t reach all my goals this season, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I know some people will see this and laugh and that’s fine. Let them. We didn’t come out the way we should have. We could’ve been more aggressive and more confident and we take accountability for that. But one game doesn’t define us. People always talk and focus on the negative, but we’re not letting that shake us. We know who we are. This is sports you win you lose and you learn and we’re gonna learn from this game and get better. Maybe this wasn’t our time but I know our time is coming. Pain is temporary but the growth from it lasts.
The pain? It's a part of the process. The same people who doubt you now will be the same ones watching you rise later. Stay locked in, stay true to yourself, and keep going because what’s meant for you will never miss you.
What's next season look like for the Orange?
Syracuse will lose senior contributors including Journey Thompson, Dominique Darius, Laila Phelia and Oyindamola Akinbolawa. All four players saw significant action for the Orange this season. The Orange are likely to add both players in the transfer portal along with high school recruits. The team will surely continue to have a heavy focus on creating more scoring plays and opportunities for the likely-returning Izoje in her sophomore season.
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