Coming off an alleged abuse scandal that rocked the program and led to the dismissal of head coach Cameron Neubauer, most did not expect much out of Florida’s women’s basketball program this season. Against all odds — not to mention losing its leading scorer Lavender Briggs to injury and ultimately the transfer portal mid-season — the Lady Gators have made it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
The bracket for this year’s tournament was announced Sunday night on CBS Sports, with Florida earning a No. 10 seed in the Bridgeport Region and lined up to play the No. 7-seeded UCF Knights in the first round. This is the first year that the women’s tournament is expanded to a 68-team field like the men, which has the traditional 64-team bracket plus four play-in teams.
The Lady Gators have participated in the NCAA tournament 15 times prior dating back to its first appearance in 1993. They hold a 12-15 record over that span, advancing past the second round just twice — back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998 in which Florida reached the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. The Orange and Blue were bounced in the first round the last time it played in the tournament as a No. 5 seed by No. 12 Albany.
The departure of Neubauer left an opportunity open for current head coach Kelly Rae Finley, whose efforts this season earned her a promotion from interim coach with a five-year contract at the end of February. Florida put together a 21-10 record including a 10-6 mark in SEC play this season, a stark improvement on its 12-14 overall and 3-11 record in SEC play last year.
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