The 2023-2024 season hasn’t been kind to the Florida Gators women’s basketball team since the new year. Since kicking off conference play, the Gators have struggled to hold their own against a loaded SEC talent pool.
From a blowout 89-66 home loss at the hands of the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks Jan. 4 to compiling an 0-3 record on the road in SEC play to date, Florida has already endured its fair share of struggles. UF currently ranks third-to-last in the conference.
With that being said, there have also been numerous bright spots for the Gators in the last four weeks. Senior guard Leilani Correa has thrived through January, averaging 25.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and two steals in that span.
Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley singled Correa out as one of the top players in the SEC, citing her relentless scoring and composure as two of the multiple factors that have allowed her to blossom this season. Even with all of this newfound attention, Correa remains focused on the task at hand: helping her team win games.
“I don’t really feel as much pressure as you may think that I do,” Correa said. “Most of the time, my teammates are getting me the ball. Whether it’s backdoor cuts, whether it’s getting open for a three, I don’t have to go off to create my own shot a lot of the time. Just trusting my teammates, it takes a lot of the pressure off of my shoulders.”
While Correa carried Florida through the past month, her fellow Gators teammates have continued to pull their weight as well. Senior guard Aliyah Matharu has averaged 18.3 points per game so far this season, while senior center Ra Shaya Kyle has chipped in with 12.4 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game.
Nevertheless, injuries have haunted the Gators in recent weeks. Matharu has missed Florida’s last two games due to an illness, while Kyle hasn’t seen the court since she sustained a knee injury in the Gators’ loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores Jan. 7.
Even amidst its struggles both on and off the court, Florida has made major strides in putting the pieces together for a breakthrough in conference play. The tides may finally be turning in their favor, as the Gators are 2-2 in their last four SEC matchups.
“We’re proud of our team for going out and competing,” Florida senior forward Faith Dut said. “That’s what we set out to do… It’s really nice to go out there and show what we’ve been working on and how hard the Gators work.”
Even with the roadblocks Florida has faced so far this season, Finley still has faith in her squad. While the competition remains as stiff as ever in the SEC, Finley believes the Gators are ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.
“You come to Florida because you want to build the program, and you want to be about it,” Finley said. “You want to help turn something around, and you’re never going to do that if you don’t play the best.”
Contact Jack Meyer at jmeyer@alligator.org. Follow him on X @jackmeyerUF.
Jack Meyer is a third-year journalism major and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In his free time, he enjoys running, spending time with friends, playing video games, and watching the Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins.
