Florida Gators Women's Basketball

After a great week both on and off the court. The Florida Gators prepare for a showdown with their in state rival.

“Anytime it's Florida versus Florida state that rivalry is special”

-Florida guard Zippy Broughton

On Monday night the Florida Gators defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers 92-54 to begin the season 3-0 heading into Friday’s game against Florida State their first ranked opponent of the season.

While Florida was finding success early in the season the Gators received equally good news about 24 hours earlier. After weeks of anticipation a third-piece of what could be one of the best recruiting classes ever for the Gators chose to call Gainesville her future home. Me’Arah O’Neal of Episcopal High School in Houston, Texas committed to play for the Gators sending shockwaves through the recruiting landscape. Baylor, Tennessee and others were all in play for the 6-4 forward but the school that felt the shock the most way have been the defending NCAA champion LSU Tigers. O’Neal is the youngest daughter of NBA Hall of Famer and LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal and a commitment to the Tigers was expected due to their recent success. O’Neal instead has chosen to carve her own legacy and will do so alongside two other heralded recruits that signed with the Gators.

Florida center Ra'Shaya Kyle (Chris Spears photo)

Kylie Kitts will join O’Neal in Gainesville after signing her letter of intent with the Gators. The 25th ranked player in the 2025 class Kitts has chosen to reclassify into the 2024 class to join the Gators next season. The 6-4 wing player was a standout at Faith Christian Academy a season ago leading them to their first state title averaging a thirteen points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game. To finish the class Kelly Rae Finley and staff signed the point guard Alivia McGill from Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. McGill is the sixth-ranked player in the country and the highest rated player to ever sign with the Gators. The 5-11 point guard has participated in several national and international all-star competitions and should follow freshman guard Laila Reynolds as the second consecutive McDonald’s All-American to sign with the Gators.

Success on the recruiting trail and early success on the court have gone hand in hand early this season for the Gators. Along with Florida A&M the Gators also defeated the University of North Florida 82-65 and Bethune Cookman 83-69. A visit from Florida State Friday evening is a different animal and the Gators know what this means to the program. “Anytime it’s Florida versus Florida State that rivalry is special”, stated Florida guard Zippy Broughton. Broughton had a solid game in her first game against Florida State in 2021 with 11 points after transferring from Rutgers. Last season Broughton missed the in-state showdown and she is anxious to get back in the mix. “Getting (back) into my rhythm is something I’ve really been working on this season.” “I really want to get that W”.

Florida point guard Aliyah Matharu (Chris Spears photo)

To beat the nationally ranked Seminoles the Gators will need solid games from Broughton and others who have started off hot this season. Point guard Aliyah Matharu is currently leading the team in scoring and assists and is on pace to reach 1,000 points for her career when the Gators visit Garber-Webb on December 17th. Center Ra' Shaya Kyle continues her resurgence as the team second leading scorer and leading rebounder. The 6-6 senior from Marion, Indiana joined LSU’s Angel Reese as the only players to have multiple double-doubles (points and rebounds) in the first week of the season.

Should the Gators get solid play from the three seniors along with Lelani Correa, Alberte Rimdal, and Laila Reynolds on the wings, the Gators could find themselves nationally ranked heading into the third week of the season. This would be a nice springboard for Florida Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley and company as they forge further into their non-conference season with a trip to the Bahamas next week and a date with Michigan in December at the Jumpman Invitational.