Syracuse women’s basketball: checking in on the Orange alums in the WNBA

With the 2024 WNBA regular season tipping off Tuesday, there’s no better time to check in on some of the alumnae from the Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team.

The Orange will certainly see more representation in the WNBA this year with Dyaisha Fair and Kamilla Cardoso both landing roster spots. Let’s take a look across the league to catch you up to speed on the current situations of some familiar Syracuse women’s basketball names.

Dyaisha Fair - Las Vegas Aces

After performing at an All-American level in her final collegiate season, Dyaisha Fair earned her way on the Las Vegas Aces after being selected No. 16 overall in the most recent WNBA Draft.

Fair is joining a well-respected franchise in Las Vegas, which has won the last two WNBA championships. The Aces are led by reigning WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson, who also earned a spot on last year’s All-WNBA first team and won Defensive Player of the Year.

Based on the current 12-person roster, Fair will certainly start off more as a reserve guard for the Aces. Las Vegas already boasts the guard duo of Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray — who each most recently earned a spot on the All-WNBA second team — as well as WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum.

With that said, she’ll have plenty of mentorship with all those great names at guard in addition to head coach Becky Hammon.

Las Vegas kicks off its season on Tuesday night versus the Phoenix Mercury.

Brittney Sykes - Washington Mystics

Now entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Brittney Sykes will look to continue building off arguably her best year as a pro.

Sykes, the former Syracuse guard who played in 138 games for the program, played spectacular in her first year with the Washington Mystics after previous stops in Atlanta and Los Angeles. In the 2023 season, Sykes averaged career-highs in points (15.9), rebounds (5.0), assists (3.8), steals (2.1), and minutes per game (31.3). She also landed a spot on last year’s All-Defensive First Team.

Because of that, it was no surprise she remains on the Mystics after several other roster cuts.

While the Mystics only finished 19-21 last season, Sykes and the team earned a spot in the WNBA Playoffs in coach Eric Thibault’s first year at the helm.

Sykes and the Mystics kick off their season on Tuesday night versus the New York Liberty.

Kamilla Cardoso - Chicago Sky

Like Fair, former Syracuse center Kamilla Cardoso also secured a spot on the opening day roster of the Chicago Sky. Chicago selected Cardoso with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, pairing the productive center from South Carolina with LSU star Angel Reese (who was selected No. 7 overall).

After playing her first collegiate year with the Orange in 2020-21, Cardoso shined under Dawn Staley and served as a key center piece for the South Carolina Gamecocks during their undefeated 2023-24 campaign. Cardoso was named Most Outstanding Player for this past NCAA Tournament and averaged career-highs in points (14.4), rebounds (9.7), games started (32) and field goal percentage (59.4%), among others.

The Sky finished 18–22 and lost as an eight-seed in the First Round of last year’s playoffs. Cardoso headlines what is a historically good draft class for Chicago, who is looking to quickly retool after winning as much as 26 games just two years ago.

Emily Engstler - Washington Mystics

Joining Sykes on the 2024 Mystics roster is former Syracuse guard Emily Engstler, who likewise made the current 12-person roster.

Engstler, who played three years for the Orange (2019-21) before ending her collegiate career in Louisville, will be playing for her third team in three years this season. She earned a training camp contract in February and did enough to remain with the team for opening day.

Engstler played just 7.8 MPG in 12 games last year for the Minnesota Lynx after originally being selected No. 4 overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft. While the former All-ACC player has struggled to kick off her professional career, Engstler still boasts a chance to be a productive contributor for the Mystics.