Danielle Rainey Finding Her Way in Gators' Makeover
Saturday, January 26, 2019 | Women's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. β If it seems like the Gators women's basketball team's roster is constantly changing, that's because, well, it is.
In his nearly two years at UF, Coach Cam Newbauer has brought in players from Australia, Brazil and England. Seven of his 12 players are transfers, including three from the junior college ranks.
Clearly, Newbauer is willing to do whatever it takes to overhaul the Gators' roster in hopes that his program will finally experience success, and that includes mid-season additions.
Redshirt sophomore guard Danielle Rainey began her career at Texas Christian in 2016-17. After playing in just 11 games for the Horned Frogs and averaging just five minutes per game, she opted for a fresh start at UF in January 2018.
Due to NCAA rules, she had to sit out until the Fall 2018 semester ended, though she was allowed to practice with the team. She made her Gators debut on Dec. 16 at Ohio State.
"It felt amazing," Rainey said. "Getting to run up and down the floor with these girls is a feeling that I wish everybody could feel. I just felt back to normal. I was able to play, and there was a reward for all the practices I had been doing for the past few years."
Her season numbers are modest: 6.4 points per game, 3.1 reboundsΒ and 29.8 percent shooting from behind the arc. However, Rainey produced big time in two of the past three games, scoring a team-high 16 points in a home win over Missouri and putting up 15 points and sevenΒ rebounds at Ole Miss. She drained five threes against Mizzou and has made a three in eight of the 10 games she has played in.
"My teammates just had me riled up, and we all wanted to win," she said. "It was an experience that I will never, ever forget because it was just something about the atmosphere and the vibe. It was just way different."
She's proven that she's not afraid to shoot the ball, averaging nearly seven shots per game from her wing position despite coming off the bench. On Thursday, UF struggled mightily against No. 7 Mississippi State (18-1, 11-0) in a 90-42 home loss. Rainey scored just one point on 0-for-6 shooting from the field.
"Playing a defensive team like [Mississippi State], we have not seen that as a team," Newbauer said. "Danielle has not seen that as a player. So, it's a learning experience for her, and I know she's going to come fight back to get better. She's going to want to watch film to grow and see what she could do differently.
"She'll get tougher and stronger of knowing how to β how does she adjust then? They take this away, what does she do then? I thought throughout the game she got better at that as well. Shots just didn't fall."
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Rainey and the rest of the Gators (5-14, 1-5) look to get back on track when they host Arkansas (15-5, 4-2) on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Rainey is from Washington, D.C., but she transferred to Vista Ridge (Texas) High School following her sophomore year.Β As a senior, she led Vista Ridge to a 34-5 record and semifinal appearance in the Class 5A state tournament. She averaged 13.9 points per game that season and was named to the Class 5A All-State First Team. She was ranked the No. 112 player in the country and a four-star prospect by Prospects Nation.
Rainey signed with TCU over Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas Tech and other major programs. She also had offers to run track in college.
"The coaching staff, they made me feel like they have the experience to help me grow as a player and as a person," she said. "The atmosphere was just miraculous. When I got there, I felt like it was family-oriented, and I felt like they were really all planned on making us all better as players and as people."
Her best night as a Horned Frog came on Dec. 20, 2016, when she scored seven points in 15 minutes against Alcorn State.Β
Despite her limited role, Rainey insisted that playing time didn'tΒ play a factor in her decision to transfer. She simply felt that a change of scenery was necessary.
"I think as you get older, you tend to put yourself in situations that are going to set you up for success in the long run," she said. "And I think me transferring would've been the best decision for me as a person and a player."
By transferring mid-season, she preserved her redshirt eligibility and allowed herself to play in the second half of the 2018-19 season.
She considered enrolling at a mid-major program so she could stay close to home, but she eventually opted to head to the Southeastern Conference, which she believes is the best fit for her. She mentioned South Carolina as another school she was interested in.
When Rainey visited UF, she knew she had found her new college.
"When I got here, it just felt like home," she said. "The coaches had the experience. They made me feel real comfortable. And most importantly my teammates, they were family. That was just the vibe I got initially."
Rainey said the hardest part about moving halfway across the country was leaving her mother, with whom she has a close relationship.
"I just had to figure out what was best for me as a player and as a person," she said. "My mom made me feel like, 'All right, if you're going to do this, spread your wings and fly.' "
On the court, her adjustment was made easier by the fact that a lot of her teammates were new to the program as well.
"We built that wall, and we all fought through it together," Rainey said. "So, as far as talent, we have the talent. I knew that off the bat. So, I just knew that the biggest challenge for us was just going to be getting to know each other as a player and then, as a whole, seeing what we're good at."
She admitted that having to sit out the first nine games of the season was difficult for her, but she used the light at the end of the tunnel and her goals as motivation to stay focused and engaged during practices. She used the practices to fine-tune the mental part of the game.
Her goal for the remainder of the season is simple β to be more consistent. A struggling team searching for playmakers needs more games from Rainey like the ones she turned in against Missouri and Ole Miss.
The same can be said of the entire team. The Gators are searching for consistency following an avalanche of change.
