Sports | Women's Basketball - The Independent Florida Alligator

Guard Danielle Rainey averaged 8.2 points per game off the bench last season and made 28 three-pointers.

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First impressions of UF women’s basketball team

By Dylan Rudolph | Sep. 26, 2019

The Florida women’s basketball team held its preseason media day Thursday, and coach Cam Newbauer and the players got to share their thoughts on the offseason and the season to come. They spoke a lot on improvement from last season and had a new-found confidence. Here are three areas the team addressed for the upcoming season:

UF guard Kristina Moore suffered a broken arm on Jan. 27 in the Gators' women’s basketball game against Arkansas.

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From the Outback to the Swamp

By Dylan Rudolph | Mar. 19, 2019

The first quarter seemed to be over.

Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu led the team with 16.6 points per game this season.

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How does Florida recuperate after a disappointing 2018-19 season?

By Sam Campisano | Mar. 14, 2019

The Florida women’s basketball season came to an end last Thursday in Greenville, South Carolina, with an 87-56 loss to Missouri in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

UF guard Funda Nakkasoglu became the second active player in the SEC to cross 2,000 career points in the Gators' regular-season finale victory over Vanderbilt on Sunday.

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Florida's season ends in Round 2 with loss to Missouri

By Dylan Rudolph | Mar. 7, 2019

The sparse Florida crowd at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, sheepishly tried to revitalize the players, but only in vain.

Florida guard Delicia Washington’s jumper gave UF a two-point lead with just 15 seconds left, and the Gators snapped a five-game losing streak with a 57-55 win over Alabama.

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Florida advances to Round 2 with win over Ole Miss

By Dylan Rudolph | Mar. 6, 2019

Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin desperately tried to motivate her team during the final timeout of the game. She slammed her clipboard to the ground and pounded her fist against her red leather jacket looking for a reaction from her players, but she was met with silence.

UF guard Funda Nakkasoglu scored 14 points in Florida’s 90-42 loss to Mississippi State on Thursday night. She was the only Gator to score in the first quarter.

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Nakkasoglu reaches 2,000, Florida holds off Vanderbilt in regular season finale

By Dylan Rudolph | Mar. 3, 2019

Guard Funda Nakkasoglu stepped to the free-throw line amid a monster, 23-point performance.

Guard Funda Nakkasoglu was honored on Senior Night and scored 14 points in the Gators 69-57 loss to Georgia.

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Dreadful first quarter sets the tone as Gators fall on Senior Night

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 28, 2019

It was all smiles before Thursday night’s game at the O’Connell Center as Florida honored its lone senior, Funda Nakkasoglu, on Senior Night.

UF guard Delicia Washington scored seven points in Florida’s 90-42 loss to Mississippi State on Jan. 24.

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Washington’s absence felt on floundering Florida team

By Dylan Rudolph | Feb. 26, 2019

It was over early.

Guard Funda Nakkasoglu scored 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc in the Gators' 80-62 loss to Texas A&M on Monday.

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Gators can’t get out of first gear in blowout loss to Texas A&M

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 25, 2019

Aggies center Ciera Johnson scored an easy right-handed layup to open the scoring on the first possession of Monday night’s game at the O’Connell Center.

Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu leads the Gators with 16.3 points per game this season, roughly six points higher than the next player.

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Funda Nakkasoglu: Unequivocally Turkish with Aussie roots

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 24, 2019

Growing up, Funda Nakkasoglu wondered why she couldn’t have a “normal” name.

Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu dropped a team-high 18 points in UF’s 67-50 loss to Tennessee on Thursday in Knoxville.

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Florida’s road woes continue at LSU

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 21, 2019

It was like watching a movie you’ve seen a thousand times before.

Gators coach Cam Newbauer: (Utah) did a good job. This was a great team with a great offense.

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Florida swept in season series against South Carolina

By Dylan Rudolph | Feb. 17, 2019

Cam Newbauer just looked down in the post-game press conference. The typically optimistic coach was quiet after his team gave up over 90 points for a second-straight game.

“You have to learn that in the SEC when you get punched you can’t flinch, you can’t falter,” said Gators women's basketball coach Cam Newbauer. “We just kinda flinched a little bit at the wrong time and got away from what our game plan was.”

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Georgia dominates Florida in rivalry matchup

By Dylan Rudolph | Feb. 10, 2019

Florida was down 17 early in the third quarter in Athens, Georgia, looking for anything to shift the momentum. An easy rebound floated up for UF, and a sea of Gator hands reached up for the ball. But the big paws of Georgia forward Caliya Robinson soared above them all to snatch the rebound and make the easy put-back.

Guard Delicia Washington registered her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Gators' win over FAMU.

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Washington’s game-winning shot lifts Florida over Alabama

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 7, 2019

Florida guard Delicia Washington had been there before.

Guard Danielle Rainey paced the Gators offensively against the Wildcats. She had 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the Gators’ 62-51 loss at Rupp Arena.

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Florida comes up short in Kentucky upset bid

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 3, 2019

Fans of the Florida women’s basketball team could dream for the first three quarters on Sunday.

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Florida drops to Tennessee in Knoxville for fourth straight loss

By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 31, 2019

The Gators walked into the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, without one of the most important elements in the game of basketball: height. The team was down its starting 6-foot-1 forward, Kristina Moore, after she injured her arm Sunday against Arkansas, and her absence was evident from the first whistle to the last.

Florida guard Delicia Washington is expected to return for Thursday's game against Tennessee. She took a hit to the head against Mississippi State on Jan. 24 that forced her to sit out a game as she went through concussion protocol.

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Undersized UF hindered by Moore's injury

By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 29, 2019

The Gators tried to get one last shot off before the buzzer sounded. They had an excellent opening quarter on Sunday against Arkansas and were up by 12.

Guard Kiara Smith pitched in a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) in Florida’s 83-73 home loss to Arkansas on Sunday. She also recorded a team-high five assists.

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UF falls to Arkansas at O’Dome for third-straight loss

By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 28, 2019

It was the pace.

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Florida embarrassed by Mississippi State at O’Dome

By Sam Campisano | Jan. 24, 2019

If you told Florida women’s basketball coach Cam Newbauer that the Gators out-rebounded No. 7 Mississippi State and held its leading scorer, Teaira McCowan, to just two points, he probably wouldn’t have expected his team to get blown out.

Guard Funda Nakkasoglu scored 30 points to help the Gators' women's basketball team snap a three-game losing streak in a 70-60 win over Charleston Southern.

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Ole Miss leads start to finish to down Gators

By Sam Campisano | Jan. 20, 2019

Ole Miss guard Mimi Reid drilled a three on the first possession of Sunday’s game in Oxford, Mississippi.