Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — At 5 a.m., what are you doing?

Gators women's basketball senior Zippy Broughton sits outside and meditates. Her pets walk around nearby. Occasionally, her rescue dog Hazel jumps on her. Broughton keeps her eyes closed. She doesn't get upset; her beloved is showing an "expression of love."

Broughton is in a state of clarity and calmness, a mindset she carried into last Sunday's game against No. 25 Texas A&M. The guard posted a career-best 28 points to lead the Gators to their first win over a ranked opponent since January 2020.

Who scored the first baskets for the Gators (12-5, 2-2 SEC) in both overtimes? Broughton.

That game, was a high.

"I was very excited," Broughton said. "I know my teammates, and especially my coaches, they definitely believed in me. The first thing that they were saying as soon as the game was over, like, that's the reason you came to Florida."

When being recruited out of high school, Broughton said the relationship she had with Florida interim head coach Kelly Rae Finley played a big role in considering the Gators. The guard narrowed her schools to Kentucky, Rutgers, and Florida. She chose to move up North and attend Rutgers

Starting college can be difficult for anyone, not to mention the stresses of being a student-athlete. Amid her struggles, someone suggested she try meditation. Broughton loves being in nature and using her five senses to take in the world. This lifelong journey of letting go benefits her play on the court.

"I'm able to slow it down more," Broughton said, "because if you can calm your thoughts and if you can calm everything that's surrounding you within that game, you can translate that into being able to see, hear, and everything, and just being able to bring it down to the core. It's just amazing."

Finley was impressed by Broughton's clarity and pace between the four lines of the court in College Station, Texas.

"She wasn't riding the highs and the lows of the crowd, she wasn't riding the highs and the lows of the scoreboard, she wasn't riding the highs and the lows of the time, or anything outside of that which made her able to better lead us through those moments," Finley said last week as the Gators prepared for Sunday's game at Alabama.

Her meditations certainly help her with being calm, but she's more intense on the court.  "Once I'm in game mode, I can tell you right now," Broughton laughed, "the person I am off the court and when I'm into that competitive mode are two different people."

At one point in the road win at Texas A&M, Broughton was upset when Finley took her out of the game; she wanted to keep competing. Finley knew it wasn't personal. They quickly let go, and found success, flowing to the next moment of the game. Blowing intensely, then sitting in the grass with her dogs, at peace. Broughton doesn't ascribe to a certain religion or philosophy, rather a spirituality and a personal motto.

"Just being that leaf in the wind and going wherever it blows," she described her philosophy.

Three years after Broughton chose Rutgers, Finley called her up again. Broughton felt nervous and wondered if she was ready for Florida but took a leap of faith.

"I can't break my heart twice," Broughton thought.

Her energy flowed towards Gainesville.

However, like any spiritual person knows, along with the highs, there will always be lows. Broughton said until a few weeks ago, she was experiencing said lows in her meditations; things weren't working.

In the past month, Finley has noticed a transformation in Broughton. The coach and player have lots of interesting conversations about their similarities (Broughton claims Finley is also a free spirit), but they also have serious, honest talks about basketball. In this case, Finley wanted to see more consistency.

Broughton said she can be naturally independent with her workouts, but realized doing everything on her own wasn't working. Her coach told her the best way to get better was to work out with a teammate.

"In order to get to the next level," Broughton said, "you have to be able to adapt and be able to sacrifice and let go of your previous ideas."

Now, with the idea in mind that she could be more powerful with more people working toward the same mission, Broughton hopes to bring people along with her, and influence them — not by forcing them to meditate or screaming at them if they make a mistake — but by setting an example with her consistency and checking in on her teammates to make sure they're doing okay.

Broughton is definitely a servant leader, said Finley. She admires "how she brings her teammates along, how she cares for them, how she pushes them and the belief that they have" with her around.

Indeed, at a team meeting after the Texas A&M game, one teammate said, "Zippy was the one who believed we could do it."

Whether it's through positive influence or scoring, both coach and player know Broughton will do whatever it takes for the team to win.

Sunday's game, which brings the 5-foot-7 Broughton back to her home state to play Alabama (10-6, 1-4 SEC), may not be her game to score a ton of points. No one can predict that future ahead of time. She may be assigned to guarding the Crimson Tide's highest scorer, thanks to her speed (also the reason for her nickname, Zippy).

She is in touch with her inner self enough to have the awareness that it's not all about her.

Broughton grew up with five siblings in Wetumpka, Ala. Many people see her family as big, but she doesn't see it that way. She feels 100 percent supported by her parents in whatever she does.

Something Broughton and Finley share is that both women grew up with a special-needs sibling. Finley sees this connection as another reason Broughton can freely allow the focus to be on her teammates.

"She's been blessed with that same gift," Finley said. "And because of that, it makes her a more transformational leader, and more able to connect with all different types of people, which is really really cool to see."

In Wetumpka, they had guns and woods to hang out in. Out in the woods, she began a lifelong relationship with her childhood best friend: nature. Broughton felt everything was solid and natural back home. Still, wherever she goes, she can find her roots.

This is all a part of her journey. And whatever happens, she will flow with it. Letting go and expressing gratitude for where she is at the moment.

"I don't want to label anything," Broughton said. "I don't want to try to define something that doesn't need to be defined. My faith takes me wherever I'm blessed to be. The journey is always ongoing."

Zippy Broughton, a competitor, leader and leaf in the wind.