‘Playing for something bigger’: Syracuse beats Yale, honors Legette-Jack’s mother

Syracuse, N.Y. — An emotional start turned into an aggressive finish.
Georgia Woolley got choked up talking about playing for Syracuse women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack. It wasn’t just about her love for the Orange’s leader, but Legette-Jack’s passion for her mother, Thalia, who’s been fighting Alzheimer’s for a decade.
“When it is like that, you don’t have any choice but to go out and play hard,” Woolley said, “and it just gives you that extra push.”
Sunday’s game against Yale was the team’s Alzheimer’s awareness game, and Woolley and Legette-Jack were emotional during and after SU’s 78-50 win over Yale Sunday at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse struggled early on, scoring just nine points in the opening 10 minutes, but Legette-Jack knew there was a lot on her team’s mind and that the Orange would relax as the game moved forward.
“They were playing for something bigger than themselves,” Legette-Jack said. “And sometimes you get your heart involved with something that you’re doing, it engulfs you. And sometimes it takes away from playing like who you really are.”
Though the Orange had a less-than-stellar first quarter, the team played through their emotions and found its groove. Syracuse outscored Yale 17-2 in the final five minutes of the first half to take a 13-point halftime lead.
The Orange dominance continued into the third quarter, turning the game into a runaway. Woolley finished the game with 16 points after scoring five in the first half. Izabel Varejao recorded her first career double-double in just 13 minutes.
The Orange dug deep, and found a way to conquer a unique challenge in front of them. The challenge wasn’t just defeating Yale, but learning to play with something weighing on the team.
Syracuse’s first eight games of the season have tested this team in numerous ways: defensive struggles; changes in the starting lineup; learning to play without a go-to superstar; and, against Yale, playing through emotion.
“I just think that we have to remember that it’s November, and we’re still finding ourselves,” Woolley said. “There’s so many teams in the country that are still finding themselves right now.”
Are there areas Legette-Jack wants to improve? Yes; physicality is one of them. She wants her team to play with an extra edge, dropping their shoulders and standing tall defensively. Legette-Jack is determined to make sure every opponent deals with an intense, physical Syracuse team.
The Orange made 13 of 15 free throws against Yale, much to do with how Syracuse found ways to draw fouls.
“Getting to the line is toughness, getting rebounds is toughness, pushing the ball, getting the ball inside, is toughness,” Legette-Jack said. “And we’re not going to be able to win every single game, but, man, it can be tough every single second.”
In a game where basketball meant playing for Thalia, playing for a cure to Alzheimers, the Orange walked away with a win that was worth more than just evening their overall record.
“It resonates through all of us,” Woolley said. “And I’m just so happy that we got the opportunity to go out and represent everyone that might be struggling with Alzheimer’s, our family members or loved ones. So I’m just blessed that we got that opportunity.”