Thursday, October 31, 2024 | Women's Basketball, Chris Harry
Share:
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kelly Rae Finley scanned the box score as she ticked off the positives of her 2024-25 women's basketball squad following its dress rehearsal Wednesday night at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, an 86-46 exhibition defeat of over-matched and undersized Flagler, the Division II program about 60 miles to the east in St. Augustine.
The Gators, Finley said, shared the ball, played together, demonstrated the versatility the coaches envisioned, as well as an element of depth that will allow multiple players to play extended minutes, if needed. They were also healthy, with both 6-foot-6 senior center Ra Shaya Kyle and sophomore guard Laila Reynolds — both of whom went through grueling rehabs during the offseason — in the starting lineup.
UF, though, remains an unfinished product. And that's OK.
"We just have some players who don't have a lot of experience, so we're trying to work our way into that experience," Finley said of a team that started two freshmen and a sophomore. "It's going to be very important how that looks."
Here's one way it looked post-game: Freshman point guard Liv McGill, the 2024 McDonald's All American from Minneapolis and the highest-rated recruit in program history, spoke briefly about her first game in front of the home crowd and after glancing at her line in the box score (8 points, 3-for-11 from the floor, 0-for-5 from the 3-point line, 2 assists, 3 turnovers in 21 minutes) shook her head.
"That's not me … but we got the win," she said with a smile. "And I can't wait to be back out there Monday."
She didn't wait for Monday, actually. Five minutes later, McGill was indeed "back out there" — as in on the O'Dome floor — getting additional shots up in anticipation of Monday's season opener against Florida Atlantic and all that will come after.
For Finley, who enters her fourth UF season with a 56-42 record, this looks like her most talented team, but a good chunk of that talent — namely the rookie trio of McGill, fellow McDonald's All American and 6-4 guard/forward Me'Arah O'Neal, plus 6-4 forward Kylee Kitts, that makes up a top-10 signing class — needs to play. The Flagler game was a start, with the Gators shooting a collective 45.7 percent from the floor, out-rebounding the mini-Saints 63-34 and holding them to just 22.1-percent shooting for the game (18.9 from the arc).
Coach Kelly Rae Finley(center) and her squad huddle up after Wednesday night's exhibition win.
It starts for real Monday against FAU, the first of four straight home games to open the slate (including a Nov. 16 date against Miami) before the first big test comes on Nov. 22 with a road trip to Florida State, which debuted at No. 19 in The Associated Press preseason poll. Another brutal Southeastern Conference slate (nine teams in the current Top 25), of course, will follow.
Regarding the Seminoles, it's worth noting they checked in 10 spots ahead of ninth-ranked North Carolina State, a team UF raced past by 20-plus points in a closed scrimmage at Charleston, S.C., two weekends ago, which is definitely worth noting. The Gators' win over the Wolfpack, a 2024 Final Four team that beat Connecticut on the way to winning 31 games, came four days after UF's leading scorer from last season, guard Aliyah Matharu, took her 19.0 points per game and went into the transfer portal. No matter. Finley and her team moved on — "We don't look back," senior guard Jeriah Warren said — and demonstrated that old adage about "addition by subtraction."
Matharu, the No. 2 scorer in the SEC last season, was a ball-dominant guard, but now the role of facilitator, organizer and playmaker falls to McGill.
"I'm blessed with the opportunity and happy to take the keys," she said.
Along for the ride a little sooner than anticipated are both Kyle, who blew out her knee last January at Vanderbilt, and Reynolds, who suffered an injury over the summer. Kyle, who played sparingly in the NC State scrimmage, had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds over 21 minutes Monday, while Reynolds (DNP vs the Wolfpack) had five points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks in knocking off her rust. Very encouraging.
And then there was Warren, the 6-foot senior who looks on the verge of a breakout season.
A two-time state champion and Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana, Warren has averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds while starting just 21 games during her UF career. She had a big game against NC State, especially from the 3-point line, and against the Saints stuffed the box score with 14 points (with three 3s), 11 rebounds, one assist (no turnovers), three steals and a block.
"I'm just getting more comfortable, getting into my role and playing free," Warren said. "I worked very hard during the offseason, and with all my experience, and having played in the SEC so long, it's all coming into fruition at the right time."
Senior Jeriah Warren(20), a defensive specialist her previous three seasons, is expected to have a big season for the Gators on both ends of the floor in '24-25.
And now the Gators just need a little more time; more time for their freshmen; more time for players coming off injury; more time for role players (like poised backup guard Kenza Salgues and forwards Eriny Kindred, Alexia Dizeko), and the rest (including Louisville transfer forward Alexia Gassett).
More time to be on the floor together and become the best team this group can be.
"Play hard, raise our standard, play together, celebrate each other, compete to the best of our ability," Finley said, ticking off her big-picture team goals.
