Florida Women's Basketball Faces Uphill Battle

Gators struggle to gain traction in competitive SEC conference

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The Florida Gators women's basketball team is on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 10 years, as the program continues to struggle to gain traction in the highly competitive SEC conference. Head coach Kelly Rae Finley is 92-73 in five seasons, including a 30-49 conference record, and the team's average home attendance of 1,895 ranks last in the SEC. Despite having three McDonald's All-Americans on the roster, the Gators have failed to make a deep postseason run, with their last NCAA Tournament appearance coming in Finley's interim season in 2021.

Why it matters

The Florida women's basketball program has long been overshadowed by the school's other successful athletic programs, and the lack of success on the court has made it difficult to generate fan interest and support. With the SEC becoming increasingly competitive, the Gators have fallen behind their conference rivals, raising questions about the program's long-term viability and the future of head coach Kelly Rae Finley.

The details

The Gators (17-13, 5-10 SEC) have struggled to find consistency, with Finley posting a 30-49 conference record over the past five seasons. The team's recent 74-67 win against No. 19 Ole Miss was seen as a potential breakthrough, but the Gators have typically struggled to maintain that level of play. The team's roster features three McDonald's All-Americans, including sophomore point guard Liv McGill, who set the school's single-season scoring record this season, and sophomore center Me'Arah O'Neal, the daughter of basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. However, the Gators have been unable to translate their individual talent into team success.

  • The Gators have missed the NCAA Tournament in 9 of the last 10 years.
  • Finley took over the program in 2021 after the resignation of former head coach Cam Newbauer.
  • Finley is 92-73 in five seasons at Florida, including a 30-49 conference record.

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 conference record.

Liv McGill

The sophomore point guard for the Florida Gators, who set the school's single-season scoring record this season.

Me'Arah O'Neal

The sophomore center for the Florida Gators, who is the daughter of basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

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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

What’s next

If Finley is fired, Florida would owe her $450,000 for the final year of her contract and would need to start over in its search to build a winner in women's basketball.

The takeaway

The Florida Gators women's basketball program has struggled to gain traction in the highly competitive SEC conference, with the team failing to make the NCAA Tournament in 9 of the last 10 years. Despite having talented players on the roster, the Gators have been unable to translate individual talent into team success, raising questions about the long-term viability of the program and the future of head coach Kelly Rae Finley.