Opponent breakdown: 6-seed Syracuse

UConn women’s basketball will face 6-seed Syracuse on Monday evening with a trip to the Sweet 16 in Portland on the line. The Orange enter the game 24-7 on the season — including a sweep of Notre Dame in their two matchups in ACC play. Those wins helped vault Syracuse into the AP top-25, where they currently sit at No. 22 nationally. The Orange also finished in third in the conference for the regular season, but were bounced in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

To advance to the round of 32, Syracuse defeated 11-seed Arizona in a tight game on Saturday afternoon. The difference maker for the Orange? Fifth-year guard Dyaisha Fair returned to the floor from an injury scare and caught fire, carrying her team from down five to the win in the final minutes.

That is what Fair has done all season for this team. She averages 22.3 points per game (which ranks ninth nationally) and is a three level scorer with a knack for the clutch moments. Despite having the ball in her hands at such a high frequency, she still ranks among the top 10 percent nationally in points per play (0.97). The biggest obstacle between the Huskies and a 30th straight Sweet 16 appearance is finding a way to contain Fair.

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