GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida women’s basketball will begin their quest for a WNIT championship on Thursday evening when they welcome Wofford to Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center for a 6 p.m. ET matchup.
Thursday’s game will air live on SEC Network+ with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis on the call, while Tom Collett and Ryan Urquhart will handle radio responsibilities on FloridaGators.com.
THE SERIES
Florida and the Terriers will meet for the third time in program history on Thursday, with UF winning the previous two matchups, including a 61-47 victory at the 2021 Preseason WNIT on Nov. 15, 2021. This will mark the first matchup that doesn’t take place on a neutral court.
ABOUT THE TERRIERS
Wofford enters Thursday’s contest boasting a 22-9 record, including a 10-4 clip in Southern Conference play, which boosted the Terriers to a SoCon regular season title. The Terriers made it all the way to the SoCon tournament championship, but fell to the second seed, Chattanooga, 63-53.
A LOOK BACK
Florida and Wofford met most recently on Nov. 15, 2021 at the Preseason WNIT in Raleigh, N.C., in a matchup that the Gators claimed, 61-47. Defensively, Florida made the Terriers uncomfortable, forcing 20 turnovers to go along with 10 steals, led by Kiara Smith with six steals. Smith also led the offensive effort with 13 points and seven rebounds.
IN THE WNIT
Florida is making their ninth appearance in the WNIT, most recently advancing to the second round of the 2021 WNIT after defeating Charlotte, 66-55. The Gators would fall to Villanova in the second round, 77-57, but hold a 15-8 all-time mark in the tournament, including a 5-3 mark. Florida has twice appeared in the WNIT finals in 1985 (when it was known as the NWIT) and in 2000. UF has not hosted a WNIT game since March 18, 2011 when they defeat UMBC, 59-47, in the first round of the tournament.
NEXT UP?
Nina Rickards is closing-in on becoming the 27th-member of the Florida 1,000-point club, currently owning 985 career points. The senior has upped her offensive performance during the 2022-23 season, scoring at a career-best clip of 11.9 points per game, which includes a career-high 24 points from a victory at Dayton on Dec. 4, 2022.
FUN IN MARCH
With their selection to the WNIT, Florida has secured their third-consecutive postseason appearance after appearing in the 2021 Postseason WNIT and 2022 NCAA Tournament. Their selection marks the first time of qualifying for three-consecutive postseason tournaments since seven-straight postseason appearances from 2008-2014.
EXCELLENCE FROM DEEP
If the season were to end today, KK Deans’ season would go down as one of the best shooting performances in Florida history. The senior has connected on 38.5% of her attempts from three-point range, the fifth-best mark for an individual season in program history. It would also go down as the best individual season from long range by a senior in the Florida record book.
WINNING SEASON
With Florida’s 61-52 victory over Missouri, the Orange & Blue are guaranteed to end the 2022-23 season with a winning record. The win marked the first time since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons that the Gators have recorded back-to-back seasons with winning records. Also, with 37 victories over the past two campaigns, Florida has tied their largest two-season win total since the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
RAINING THREES
KK Deans has moved into a tie for 11th in Florida history for triples made in a single season at UF, as she currently has made 67 on the year. Alberte Rimdal is also looking at one of the best seasons for a sophomore, needing 49 total threes to mark the fifth-best output by a sophomore and she has currently knocked-down 43.
TO THE LINE
Florida women’s basketball is elite when it comes to getting to the free throw line, knocking down 14.93 per game which is fourth in the SEC and 27th in the nation. They average 20.90 attempts per game, sitting at fourth in the conference and 27th nationally.
60: THE MAGIC NUMBER
Under the leadership of Kelly Rae Finley, Florida’s defense will always be a point of emphasis. Helping to prove that point, the Gators own a perfect 24-0 mark under Finely when holding opponents to 60 points or less.
PLAYING WITH PACE
Florida likes to get up and down the court on offense, currently holding the 42nd-fastest pace in the NCAA with an average of 74.1 possessions per 40 minutes. That pace puts them at fourth-fastest in the SEC behind Arkansas (74.7), Auburn (74.8) and Kentucky (75.1).
– #GoGators –
