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The Florida women’s basketball 2024-25 season has officially ended as it lost to the Minnesota Gophers Monday night in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament semifinals. As the team reflects on the year, it is time to start looking forward to the 2025-26 season. The Gators will be losing several key seniors with Jeriah Warren, Alexia Dizeko and Ra Shaya Kyle leaving the team. Their senior leadership was vital in the team’s development this season. Looking forward, fans will continue to see these player’s impact, but the new spirit of the younger players may be the push Florida needs to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
The McGill Influence
One bright spot for the upcoming season is the young talent demonstrated on the team. Freshman Liv McGill has made headlines this season for her incredible debut. In the semifinal game against Minnesota, she accounted for 18 of the team’s 52 points. This was the 20th time in Florida’s 37 games that McGill led the team in scoring.
McGill has been awarded the title of highest-scoring single season by a freshman in Florida program history. Her score of 489 points overtook Quientella Bonner, who previously held the record, by over 100 points.
The Students Become the Masters
The Florida women’s basketball starting five has looked like a clash of the classes this season. The team was supported by veteran athletes like Warren, Dizeko and Kyle, but the underclassmen showed a clear divide. Alongside these three seniors were sophomore Laila Reynolds and McGill. Not only have these younger players received reps on a collegiate level, but they now understand postseason pressure.
The Gators runs in the SEC Tournament and the WBIT helped the young talent build upon the skills they already knew. This was Florida’s first look into a postseason semifinal since 2013, so Gators fans will be hoping for continued success in 2025.
the five.#GoGators | @MeldonLaw pic.twitter.com/DBmz82RW55
— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) March 31, 2025
Florida’s recruiting class is highlighted by four-star recruit Nyadieng Yiech. The 6-foot-3 forward from Aberta, Canada, will take to the court for the Gators. Another international signee is Emilija Dakic from Canberra, Australia. The point guard comes from the Basketball Australia Center of Excellence, where she trains with the Southside Flyers. This Australian professional team has helped Dakic become an elite guard with the ability to create plays on offense and defense.
The 2024 recruiting class boasted players like McGill and Me’Arah O’Neal. With the addition of these new athletes, the team may be able to build on this winning season, which was Florida’s first since 2023.
