Florida Women's Basketball Ends 25-Game Skid Against Ranked Teams

But the program remains in turmoil as it faces another potential coaching change

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Florida Gators women's basketball team ended a 25-game losing streak against ranked opponents with a 74-67 win over No. 19 Ole Miss on Thursday night. However, the program has struggled for years, missing the NCAA Tournament in 9 of the last 10 seasons and facing the possibility of another coaching change soon. Head coach Kelly Rae Finley is 92-73 in five seasons, including a 30-49 record in SEC play, and the team's average home attendance of 1,895 ranks last in the conference.

Why it matters

The Florida women's basketball program has long been an underperformer, failing to win a conference title and struggling to build a consistent winner despite the school's overall athletic success. The team's recent win over a ranked opponent provides a glimmer of hope, but the program remains in a state of flux with a coach potentially on the hot seat and the team facing an uphill battle to return to prominence in the highly competitive SEC.

The details

The Gators are led by a talented sophomore-junior trio of Liv McGill, Me'Arah O'Neal, and Laila Reynolds, but the team has struggled to string together wins in the tough SEC. Head coach Kelly Rae Finley took over a program in disarray in 2021 after the resignation of Cam Newbauer amid allegations of player abuse. Finley led the team to the NCAA Tournament in her interim season, but her tenure has mostly been downhill since, with the team going just 30-49 in SEC play over the past five seasons.

  • On February 23, 2023, the Florida Gators women's basketball team defeated No. 19 Ole Miss 74-67, ending a 25-game skid against ranked opponents in the regular season.
  • Kelly Rae Finley took over as the Florida head coach in 2021 after the resignation of Cam Newbauer.

The players

Kelly Rae Finley

The head coach of the Florida Gators women's basketball team, who is 92-73 in five seasons including a 30-49 record in SEC play.

Liv McGill

A sophomore point guard for the Florida Gators who set the school's single-season scoring record with 639 points against Ole Miss.

Me'Arah O'Neal

A sophomore forward for the Florida Gators and the daughter of basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, who leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots and is second in scoring.

Laila Reynolds

A junior forward for the Florida Gators who, along with McGill and O'Neal, gives the team a talented trio of players.

Vic Schaefer

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team, who commented on the challenges facing the Florida program in the competitive SEC.

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What they’re saying

“This is the breakthrough. You guys just witnessed it. It's on from here.”

— Liv McGill, Sophomore point guard

“I don't know another sophomore-junior duo in the conference that plays as many meaningful minutes for their squad as we have here at the University of Florida. If we are who we say we are and we want to build things — we want to build it on a strong foundation — I think these are the players that we need to get behind.”

— Kelly Rae Finley, Head coach

“They've got good players. But you've got to go through it a little bit in this league. This is not the league to try to live on 18- and 19-years-olds. It's rough.”

— Vic Schaefer, Texas head coach

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.