Sunday, January 4
Winston-Salem, N.C.
2 p.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
Syracuse
Deacs Return to LJVM Coliseum for First Home Game of 2026
1/3/2026 3:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Demon Deacons are looking to improve to 3-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2019-20 season when they play host to Syracuse Sunday afternoon at LJVM Coliseum.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After defeating Pitt in the first road game of the season, the Wake Forest women's basketball team returns home to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to host Syracuse for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff on Sunday.
The Demon Deacons (12-3, 2-1 ACC) are off to their best start in 15 years and are looking to have their best start to conference play since the 2019-20 season when the Deacs started ACC play 3-1. In the first 15 games, they have been propelled by 18.4 assists per game which ranks 21st in the country and second in the ACC. The Deacs have had the emergence of sophomore forward Grace Oliver as she is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game and also ranking sixth nationally with 64.1 percent shooting from the floor which leads the ACC. Going into Sunday, the Deacs ranked 10th nationally and first in the ACC, holding opponents to just 33.6 shooting from the field and also ranking 36th in scoring defense with just 55.5 points per game allowed while also ranking 30th with 29.3 defensive rebounds per game.
The Orange (12-2, 2-1 ACC) are playing in just their second road game of the season with the only other contest coming in a win over SMU in early December. Their only two losses this season have come to Michigan who is currently ranked No. 8 in the country and Duke who is receiving votes in the latest poll. So far this season, Syracuse has done a great job of owning the paint, ranking 11th nationally and second in the ACC with 45.29 rebounds per game while on the defensive end ranking 12th in the country with 6.1 blocks per game. Freshman center Uche Izoje has been a standout in that area ranking fourth nationally with 2.93 blocks per game while also ranking seventh in the country with a 64.1 field goal percentage this season.
Tipoff for Sunday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra for Sunday's game. A live stats feed can be found here for Sunday. You can also listen to the game on GoDeacs.com/Watch.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
Oliver Named ACC Player of the Week
Wake Forest women's basketball sophomore forward Grace Oliver was named the ACC Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
In a win over Gardner-Webb last Monday, Oliver finished the night going a perfect 14-for-14 from the floor, setting the ACC and Wake Forest record for field goal attempts without a miss. The previous ACC record was 12-of -12 from the floor by four players and was last done by Kalista Walters (Pittsburgh) against Chicago State on Dec. 31, 2017.
Additionally, this is just the ninth known occurrence in NCAA history of a player making 14 or more shots without a miss and first since Tinara Moore (CMU) on Jan. 9, 2016.
Since the turn of the century, only four players in Division-I have had 14 or more field goal attempts without a miss:
Additionally, she recorded a new career-high with 30 points, breaking her previous high of 21 points against Mercer on Nov. 13. It also marks the first 30-plus point game by a Wake Forest forward since Dearica Hamby tallied 32 points against Georgia Tech on Feb. 28, 2015.
Defensive Deacs
Wake Forest has remained a top competitor defensively well into the season, both nationally and in the ACC. Through 15 games, the Demon Deacons sit second in the conference, allowing 55.5 points per game and close behind the top teams.
Additionally, the Deacs rank first in the ACC and 10th in the nation with a 33.6 field goal percentage defense.
Assists On Made Baskets
Wake Forest tallied 26 total assists on the night on 29 made baskets (89.7 percent), marking the most assists in a single game in the Gebbia era and the most since at least 2009-10. In 15 games this season, the Demon Deacons have totaled 276 assists on 386 field goals (71.5 percent) which would mark the highest percentage in the Megan Gebbia era.
In the last two games, Wake Forest has tallied 53 assists and over the course of the season, the Demon Deacons are averaging 18.4 assists per game, second in the ACC behind Virginia's 19.4.
The Deacs did an excellent job of moving the ball last season, as they assisted on 394 of 667 made baskets this season (59.1 pct.). This was the highest assist percentage in the Gebbia era and the assist percentage ranks in the top 70 percent in the nation according to HerHoopStats.
In 2023-24, the Deacs assisted 404 of 694 made field goals (58.2 percent).
Forcing Them Over
The Deacs forced the Panthers into 10 turnovers on Monday, and have forced 10 or more takeaways 82 times in the last 86 games, a stretch dating back to January of 2022.
Through 15 games, the Demon Deacons have forced 15.7 turnovers per game.
Owning the Paint
The Demon Deacons had another excellent game in the paint in the win against Pitt on Thursday night with 34 points posted inside, while allowing Pitt to score 28 points inside, an eight-point differential.
Across 15 games, the Deacs have totaled 528 points in the paint (35.2 per game).
Sharpshooting Deacs
For the second game in a row, Wake Forest hit double-digit threes, knocking down 10 after having a season-high 11 threes against Gardner-Webb in the non-conference finale. So far this season, the Demon Deacons have knocked down 95 threes (6.3 3FG per game).
The Deacs finished the 2024-25 season knocking down 159 threes (5.5 3FGM per game). This included seven games with eight or more threes made.
Through the first three seasons under head coach Megan Gebbia, the Demon Deacons have hit 590 threes in 95 games under her direction (6.2 3FGM per game).
This includes her first two seasons, which both rank in the top five in program history:
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Pitt (January 1)
Result: W – 74-55
Versus Syracuse
Series: Syracuse leads 10-3
Last: February 9, 2025
Result: L, 50-62
The Demon Deacons head to the west coast on Thursday when Wake Forest plays at Stanford for the first time in program history at Maples Pavilion.
Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Women's Basketball Tickets
Single-Game Tickets
Wake Forest women's basketball single-game tickets are now on sale, starting at $10 per game.
The best way to get your single-game tickets is at GoDeacs.com/tickets or by calling the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322.
The Demon Deacons (12-3, 2-1 ACC) are off to their best start in 15 years and are looking to have their best start to conference play since the 2019-20 season when the Deacs started ACC play 3-1. In the first 15 games, they have been propelled by 18.4 assists per game which ranks 21st in the country and second in the ACC. The Deacs have had the emergence of sophomore forward Grace Oliver as she is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game and also ranking sixth nationally with 64.1 percent shooting from the floor which leads the ACC. Going into Sunday, the Deacs ranked 10th nationally and first in the ACC, holding opponents to just 33.6 shooting from the field and also ranking 36th in scoring defense with just 55.5 points per game allowed while also ranking 30th with 29.3 defensive rebounds per game.
The Orange (12-2, 2-1 ACC) are playing in just their second road game of the season with the only other contest coming in a win over SMU in early December. Their only two losses this season have come to Michigan who is currently ranked No. 8 in the country and Duke who is receiving votes in the latest poll. So far this season, Syracuse has done a great job of owning the paint, ranking 11th nationally and second in the ACC with 45.29 rebounds per game while on the defensive end ranking 12th in the country with 6.1 blocks per game. Freshman center Uche Izoje has been a standout in that area ranking fourth nationally with 2.93 blocks per game while also ranking seventh in the country with a 64.1 field goal percentage this season.
Tipoff for Sunday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra for Sunday's game. A live stats feed can be found here for Sunday. You can also listen to the game on GoDeacs.com/Watch.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
Oliver Named ACC Player of the Week
Wake Forest women's basketball sophomore forward Grace Oliver was named the ACC Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
In a win over Gardner-Webb last Monday, Oliver finished the night going a perfect 14-for-14 from the floor, setting the ACC and Wake Forest record for field goal attempts without a miss. The previous ACC record was 12-of -12 from the floor by four players and was last done by Kalista Walters (Pittsburgh) against Chicago State on Dec. 31, 2017.
Additionally, this is just the ninth known occurrence in NCAA history of a player making 14 or more shots without a miss and first since Tinara Moore (CMU) on Jan. 9, 2016.
Since the turn of the century, only four players in Division-I have had 14 or more field goal attempts without a miss:
| Player (School) | Date | Opponent | Field Goals | Points |
| Grace Oliver (Wake Forest) | Dec. 22, 2025 | Gardner-Webb | 14-of-14 | 30 |
| Tinara Moore (CMU) | Jan. 9, 2016 | Akron | 16-of-16 | 35 |
| Dyana Pierre (SIU) | Dec. 16, 2014 | Murray State | 14-of-14 | 31 |
| Gwen Jackson (Tennessee) | Nov. 29, 2002 | PR-May | 14-of-14 | 28 |
Additionally, she recorded a new career-high with 30 points, breaking her previous high of 21 points against Mercer on Nov. 13. It also marks the first 30-plus point game by a Wake Forest forward since Dearica Hamby tallied 32 points against Georgia Tech on Feb. 28, 2015.
Defensive Deacs
Wake Forest has remained a top competitor defensively well into the season, both nationally and in the ACC. Through 15 games, the Demon Deacons sit second in the conference, allowing 55.5 points per game and close behind the top teams.
Additionally, the Deacs rank first in the ACC and 10th in the nation with a 33.6 field goal percentage defense.
| Team | Games | W-L | Pts | Avg/G |
| 1. Virginia | 14 | 11-3 | 833 | 55.5 |
| 2. Wake Forest | 15 | 12-3 | 777 | 55.5 |
| 3. Clemson | 15 | 10-5 | 834 | 55.6 |
| 4. Stanford | 15 | 12-3 | 840 | 56.0 |
| 5. North Carolina | 13 | 13-3 | 904 | 56.5 |
Assists On Made Baskets
Wake Forest tallied 26 total assists on the night on 29 made baskets (89.7 percent), marking the most assists in a single game in the Gebbia era and the most since at least 2009-10. In 15 games this season, the Demon Deacons have totaled 276 assists on 386 field goals (71.5 percent) which would mark the highest percentage in the Megan Gebbia era.
In the last two games, Wake Forest has tallied 53 assists and over the course of the season, the Demon Deacons are averaging 18.4 assists per game, second in the ACC behind Virginia's 19.4.
The Deacs did an excellent job of moving the ball last season, as they assisted on 394 of 667 made baskets this season (59.1 pct.). This was the highest assist percentage in the Gebbia era and the assist percentage ranks in the top 70 percent in the nation according to HerHoopStats.
In 2023-24, the Deacs assisted 404 of 694 made field goals (58.2 percent).
Forcing Them Over
The Deacs forced the Panthers into 10 turnovers on Monday, and have forced 10 or more takeaways 82 times in the last 86 games, a stretch dating back to January of 2022.
Through 15 games, the Demon Deacons have forced 15.7 turnovers per game.
Owning the Paint
The Demon Deacons had another excellent game in the paint in the win against Pitt on Thursday night with 34 points posted inside, while allowing Pitt to score 28 points inside, an eight-point differential.
Across 15 games, the Deacs have totaled 528 points in the paint (35.2 per game).
Sharpshooting Deacs
For the second game in a row, Wake Forest hit double-digit threes, knocking down 10 after having a season-high 11 threes against Gardner-Webb in the non-conference finale. So far this season, the Demon Deacons have knocked down 95 threes (6.3 3FG per game).
The Deacs finished the 2024-25 season knocking down 159 threes (5.5 3FGM per game). This included seven games with eight or more threes made.
Through the first three seasons under head coach Megan Gebbia, the Demon Deacons have hit 590 threes in 95 games under her direction (6.2 3FGM per game).
This includes her first two seasons, which both rank in the top five in program history:
| Rank | Single-Season Threes Made | Year |
| 1. | 275 | 2004-05 |
| 2. | 227 | 2022-23 |
| 3. | 215 | 2005-06 |
| 4. | 204 | 2023-24 |
| 5. | 195 | 2021-22 |
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Pitt (January 1)
Result: W – 74-55
- For the second game in a row, the Demon Deacons shared the ball at an elite rate, assisting on 26 of the 29 made baskets in the win over the Panthers. In the last two games, Wake Forest has tallied 53 assists and over the course of the season, the Demon Deacons are averaging 18.40 assists per game, second in the ACC behind Virginia's 19.08.
- The Deacs were led in that category by freshman forward Opal Bird. The Sydney, Australia native tallied a career-high nine assists to go along in a near double-double effort. Bird also pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds as well as contributing six points, two blocks and two steals.
- Sophomore forward Grace Oliver, who had a program and ACC record-breaking performance in the last outing against Gardner-Webb going a perfect 14-of-14 from the field, had another strong start to her game on Thursday. The sophomore from Norwell, Mass. made her first six baskets of the game and finished as the Demon Deacons' leading scorer in the game.
- Oliver ended the game with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting while also adding four rebounds and two assists to her stat line.
Versus Syracuse
Series: Syracuse leads 10-3
Last: February 9, 2025
Result: L, 50-62
- The Demon Deacons started the game strong against the Orange, leading by as much as 12 points in the second quarter. The Deacs had the lead for the entire game until Syracuse took their first lead with 7:39 remaining in the game.
- Demeara Hinds reached double figures in the first half for the second-straight game, netting a team-high 12 points in the first 20 minutes of the game. She was 6-of-10 from the field in the first half.
- She finished the game with a team-high 14 points on seven field goal makes while also grabbing six rebounds in the loss.
- Sophomore guard Rylie Theuerkauf also had a strong start to her afternoon with nine points in the first half on 4-of-7 shooting including a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper to give the Demon Deacons a 31-26 lead going into halftime. Theuerkauf, for the sixth-straight game and the 14th time overall this season finished the game in double figures, posting 11 points.
The Demon Deacons head to the west coast on Thursday when Wake Forest plays at Stanford for the first time in program history at Maples Pavilion.
Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Women's Basketball Tickets
Single-Game Tickets
Wake Forest women's basketball single-game tickets are now on sale, starting at $10 per game.
The best way to get your single-game tickets is at GoDeacs.com/tickets or by calling the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322.
Players Mentioned
Forward
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Forward
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