Florida senior guard Nina Rickards announced on Twitter Tuesday morning that she plans to enter the transfer portal.
This announcement came after Rickards recently finished her fourth season with the Gators.
“My time at UF has been nothing but a great learning experience on and off the court,” Rickards said in her statement. “I am forever grateful for the opportunity to play for such a prestigious university.”
Rickards played her first season with the Gators during the 2019-2020 season. She made an immediate impact coming off the bench in her freshman year; she averaged 5.6 points per game.
Rickards saw an increase in minutes and took on a larger role as her Florida career continued. During her senior season, she averaged 12.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Rickards dropped her career-high of 25 points March 20 in the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. She led Florida past Wake Forest in what ended up being one of her final games in a Gator uniform.
Although inconsistent on the offensive end at times, Rickards was regarded as a leader among her teammates. She was often provided a spark on both sides of the basketball.
As Rickards joins fellow senior guard KK Deans in the transfer portal, Florida may look to rely on its younger players for the majority of its guard play going forward.
Five-star guard Laila Reynolds will join the team next season with the opportunity to earn a starting spot early. Freshman guard Myka Perry will look to take on a larger role and earn consistent minutes.
Sophomore guard Alberte Rimdal — who showed major improvement last season — will also likely take on a bigger role with the departure of Deans and Rickards.
Contact Austin Stirling at astirling@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @austinstirlingg.
Austin Stirling is a third-year journalism major and sports reporter for The Alligator. He previously covered Gators women's basketball and is primarily covering soccer during the fall 2023 semester. He is a huge New York sports fan and is hoping the Jets can be a respectable football team for once in his life this season.
