A prominent UF women’s basketball player was suspended indefinitely after Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies took her into custody Friday.
Christin Yuri Mercer, of Douglasville, Ga., faces charges of conspiring to commit a robbery after deputies served a warrant for her arrest, according to court records.
The charges were filed Dec. 18.
The basketball player was released Friday from the Alachua County Jail on her own recognizance.
Her arraignment is set for Jan. 30, according to court records.
Mercer’s suspension leaves Florida shorthanded.
The Gators were already down to only eight active players before Mercer’s arrest.
With seven players now available to play, Coach Amanda Butler will be hard pressed to recoup Mercer’s presence on the floor, as shown by Florida’s recent 82-68 loss to Southeastern Conference foe No. 12 Louisiana State University.
Prior to the arrest, Mercer was second on the team in points with 11.8, and third in rebounds with 5.8 per contest.
The 6-foot sophomore forward didn’t make the trip to Baton Rouge, La.
Her presence was sorely missed, as Florida was outrebounded 50-29.
In games Mercer has missed this season, the Gators have been outrebounded by an average margin of 40.4 to 33.4.
With Mercer out of the picture for now, Florida is left with only two legitimate rebounders.
Redshirt junior Kayla Lewis and freshman Ronni Williams, who has been dealing with foul trouble all season, are the team’s remaining options. Mercer’s is the first arrest during Butler’s tenure as coach.
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/15/2014 under the headline "UF women’s basketball player charged in robbery conspiracy"
