Gators women's basketball head coach Kelly Rae Finley has an opportunity to start 2025 with the program's first victory over a ranked opponent since a memorable stretch in her first season. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Gainesville, Fla. - The first University of Florida athletic event of 2025 takes place Thursday evening as the Gators women’s basketball team begins SEC play on the road against Alabama.
Florida wrapped up 2024 with a decisive 57-point victory over Alabama State at home. The challenge ahead is tougher, with No. 19 Alabama standing as the opponent.
While the UF men’s team sits at 13–0 and holds a No. 6 national ranking, the women’s squad has experienced ups and downs in nonconference play. They opened the season with three straight wins, dropped four in a row, and then bounced back with four consecutive victories. Since falling to North Carolina in the Jumpman Invitational on Dec. 18, Florida has defeated North Florida and Alabama State.
Florida (9–5) now faces Alabama (13–1) in pursuit of its first win over a ranked team since February 2022, when the Gators beat Georgia. That victory capped a stretch in which Florida went 5–1 against ranked SEC opponents during head coach Kelly Rae Finley’s debut season.
The Gators climbed into the national rankings that year before injuries impacted their postseason run. In recent seasons, signature wins have been harder to come by, with Florida going 0–8 against AP Top 25 teams since the Georgia win.
A victory Thursday would also mark Florida’s first SEC-opening win since 2014. Alabama enters with just one loss, which came against California in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 5. The Crimson Tide opened the season with nine straight wins before that setback.
Like Florida, Alabama closed out nonconference play with a lopsided win. The Crimson Tide defeated Jacksonville 93–46 at home, highlighted by Aaliyah Nye’s career-best 30 points, including 8-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Much of Florida’s nonconference success has been driven by Ra Shaya Kyle, who posted her eighth double-double of the season (16 points, 11 rebounds) in the win over Alabama State. Kyle, who began her career at Purdue, is averaging 16.1 points and 9.9 rebounds, making her the Gators’ most consistent presence in the post. Freshman guard Liv McGill matches Kyle as the team’s leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, while also pacing the team in assists (5.3). Jeriah Warren(13.3) and Laila Reynolds (10.4) round out Florida’s double-digit scorers.
Before SEC play began, Florida had to adapt to the departure of
Aliyah Matharu, last season’s leading scorer, who entered the transfer portal just before the season. Matharu averaged 19.0 points per game in 2023–24 and scored 35 against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament. Her college career has included multiple moves: starting at Mississippi State, transferring to Texas, sitting out the 2022–23 season after joining Florida, and then signing with Baylor in November. She debuted for the Bears on New Year’s Day in their 84–61 loss to Oklahoma State, finishing 0-for-5 from the field with one point in 11 minutes.
This season has also been about developing younger talent. McGill has stepped into a major role, while Me'Arah O'Neal has appeared in 13 games with eight starts. O’Neal is averaging 5.5 points and 4.6 rebounds, contributing strong defensive play as part of Florida’s long-term foundation.
