At the beginning of March, the season looked all but over for the Florida women’s basketball team. It had a 14-15 record and sat at 5-10 in SEC play. But after the Gators’ senior night loss on Feb. 27 to Oklahoma, head coach Kelly Rae Finley remained optimistic, saying, “It’s not the end of our season by any stretch of the imagination.”
Following a near-miracle run to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, the Gators earned a spot in the 2025 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) and made the most of it, defeating Northern Iowa, UNLV and Texas Tech to punch their ticket to the WBIT semifinals.
In the penultimate contest, Florida fought hard. Freshman guard Liv McGill led the team with 18 points, marking the 31st time this season she scored in double figures. However, Florida’s offense struggled behind McGill, with only one other Gator scoring at least 10.
Ultimately, Florida fell short, losing 66-52 to No. 2 seed Minnesota in the WBIT Semifinal in Indianapolis, ending its season. With head coach Kelly Rae Finley absent due to the birth of her child, assistant coach Susie Gardner, previously Mercer’s head coach from 2010 to 2024, stepped in to lead the team on Monday.
Under her leadership, Florida shot 35% from the field, including just 19% from 3-point range, and was outrebounded 37-31. Meanwhile, Minnesota shot 43% overall and 35% from beyond the arc.
Despite the loss, McGill shined, especially in the first half. All 18 of her points came in the opening two quarters, and she also grabbed nine rebounds and recorded two steals. Sophomore guard Laila Reynolds was the only other Gator in double figures, finishing with 11 points and five rebounds.
Minnesota had a more balanced attack, with four players scoring in double digits. Sophomore guard Grace Grocholski led the way with 20 points, while junior forward Mallory Heyer posted a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Freshman guard Tori McKinney added 14 points, and junior guard Amaya Battle finished with 10.
McGill opened the scoring with a 3 and stayed hot throughout the first quarter, finishing with seven points. However, Minnesota controlled the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds to UF’s six. Florida also struggled late in the quarter, making just two of its last 10 shots, allowing Minnesota to take a 16-15 lead.
The Gators briefly regained the lead early in the second quarter but couldn’t slow down Minnesota, which responded with a 10-0 run to build a nine-point advantage. Florida’s shooting woes continued, leading to a scoring drought of over five minutes. As a result, Minnesota took an eight-point lead into halftime.
The halftime break did not shift momentum, as Minnesota continued to pull away despite UF’s improved rebounding effort. Another late third-quarter scoring drought pushed the Golden Gophers’ lead to 12 heading into the final period.
Although freshman guard Me’Arah O’Neal hit a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter, UF failed to build momentum. Another mid-quarter scoring drought sealed the game, ultimately bringing Florida’s season to an end.
The Gators will now turn their focus to the 2025-26 season.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his fourth semester at The Alligator, and he is the Spring 2025 lacrosse reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He is a big South Florida sports fan, and likes to go to concerts with his friends and family.
