# Florida Gators women's basketball

The Florida Gators women's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Gators play their home games at the O'Connell Center located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Kelly Rae Finley, following the resignation of Cameron Newbauer. The Gators have appeared in 15 NCAA tournaments, with a record of 12–15.

## History

Women's basketball was approved as a sport by the University of Florida in March 1972, and began play in 1973 as a club team. In 1975, the Gators debuted as a varsity program under head coach Paula Welch. They made local headlines in 1976 by winning the "state championship" by beating the other three women's teams in the state at that time.
While historically overshadowed by divisional (and national) basketball powers Tennessee and Georgia, the Gators have made several NCAA tournament appearances and sent players to the WNBA, such as DeLisha Milton-Jones. The winningest coach at Florida is Carol Ross, who guided the team for twelve seasons but left Florida to coach the women's basketball team at her alma mater, Ole Miss.
Florida's women's team was coached by Carolyn Peck, a former WNBA coach who won a national title with Purdue, from 2002 to 2007. Peck was fired midway through the 2006–2007 season (though she was allowed to finish out the season), after enduring the worst losing streak of any Gator sports program.
Former University of Florida player and previous Charlotte coach Amanda Butler was named the new women's basketball coach on April 13, 2007, and remained in that position until 2017.
On March 27, 2017, Cameron Newbauer was announced as the 10th head coach of the University of Florida women's basketball program.

## Year by year results

Conference tournament winners noted with # Source
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | Coaches' poll | AP poll |
| Paula Welch (Independent) (1974–1976) ||||||||
| 1974–75 | Paula Welch | 13–6 | – | | FAIAW | | |
| 1975–76 | Paula Welch | 16–8 | – | | AIAW Region III | | |
| Paula Welch: | Paula Welch: | 29–14 | – | | | | |
| Cathy Davis (Independent) (1976–1979) ||||||||
| 1976–77 | Cathy Davis | 12–10 | – | | AIAW Region III | | |
| 1977–78 | Cathy Davis | 12–14 | – | | | | |
| 1978–79 | Cathy Davis | 12–15 | – | | AIAW Region III | | |
| Cathy Davis: | Cathy Davis: | 36–39 | – | | | | |
| Mickie DeMoss (Independent, SEC) (1979–1983) ||||||||
| 1979–80 | Mickie DeMoss | 10–19 | – | | AIAW Region III | | |
| 1980–81 | Mickie DeMoss | 11–17 | – | | FAIAW | | |
| 1981–82 | Mickie DeMoss | 13–16 | – | | FAIAW | | |
| 1982–83 | Mickie DeMoss | 11–16 | 1–7 | 5th East | | | |
| Mickie DeMoss: | Mickie DeMoss: | 45–68 | 1–7 | | | | |
| Debbie Yow (SEC) (1983–1985) ||||||||
| 1983–84 | Debbie Yow | 19–9 | 2–6 | 5th East | | | |
| 1984–85 | Debbie Yow | 22–9 | 4–4 | T–2nd East | NWIT Second Place | | |
| Debbie Yow: | Debbie Yow: | 41–18 | 6–10 | | | | |
| Carol Whitmire (SEC) (1985–1990) ||||||||
| 1985–86 | Carol Whitmire | 10–18 | 2–7 | 9th | | | |
| 1986–87 | Carol Whitmire | 12–16 | 0–9 | 10th | | | |
| 1987–88 | Carol Whitmire | 9–18 | 1–8 | 9th | | | |
| 1988–89 | Carol Whitmire | 15–14 | 1–8 | T–9th | | | |
| 1989–90 | Carol Whitmire | 12–10 | 1–6 | | | | |
| Carol Whitmire: | Carol Whitmire: | 58–76 | 5–38 | | | | |
| Lea Henry (SEC) (1990–1990) ||||||||
| 1990 | Lea Henry | 3–3 | 0–2 | 9th | | | |
| Lea Henry: | Lea Henry: | 3–3 | 0–2 | | | | |
| Carol Ross (SEC) (1990–2002) ||||||||
| 1990–91 | Carol Ross | 17–11 | 3–6 | T–8th | | | |
| 1991–92 | Carol Ross | 15–13 | 4–7 | T–7th | | | |
| 1992–93 | Carol Ross | 19–10 | 6–5 | T–4th | NCAA Play-In | | |
| 1993–94 | Carol Ross | 22–7 | 8–3 | 3rd | NCAA First Round | 25 | 20 |
| 1994–95 | Carol Ross | 24–9 | 7–4 | T–4th | NCAA Second Round | 18 | 17 |
| 1995–96 | Carol Ross | 21–9 | 6–5 | T–5th | NCAA First Round | 22 | 16 |
| 1996–97 | Carol Ross | 24–9 | 9–3 | T–3rd | NCAA Elite Eight | 6 | 7 |
| 1997–98 | Carol Ross | 23–9 | 10–4 | T–2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 12 | 13 |
| 1998–99 | Carol Ross | 19–14 | 6–8 | T–8th | NCAA First Round | | |
| 1999–2000 | Carol Ross | 21–13 | 6–8 | T–6th | WNIT Finals | | |
| 2000–01 | Carol Ross | 24–6 | 11–3 | T–2nd | NCAA Second Round | 18 | 14 |
| 2001–02 | Carol Ross | 18–11 | 8–6 | T–4th | NCAA First Round | | 24 |
| Carol Ross: | Carol Ross: | 247–121 | 84–62 | | | | |
| Carolyn Peck (SEC) (2002–2007) ||||||||
| 2002–03 | Carolyn Peck | 9–19 | 1–13 | T–11th | | | |
| 2003–04 | Carolyn Peck | 19–11 | 8–6 | T–4th | NCAA Second Round | | |
| 2004–05 | Carolyn Peck | 14–15 | 5–9 | 8th | WNIT First Round | | |
| 2005–06 | Carolyn Peck | 21–9 | 8–6 | T–5th | NCAA First Round | | |
| 2006–07 | Carolyn Peck | 9–22 | 2–12 | 11th | | | |
| Carolyn Peck: | Carolyn Peck: | 72–76 | 24–46 | | | | |
| Amanda Butler (SEC) (2007–2017) ||||||||
| 2007–08 | Amanda Butler | 19–14 | 6–8 | T–7th | WNIT Third Round | | |
| 2008–09 | Amanda Butler | 24–8 | 9–5 | T4th | NCAA Second Round | 23 | 22 |
| 2009–10 | Amanda Butler | 15–17 | 7–9 | T–7th | WNIT Second Round | | |
| 2010–11 | Amanda Butler | 20–15 | 7–9 | 8th | WNIT Third Round | | |
| 2011–12 | Amanda Butler | 20–13 | 8–8 | 8th | NCAA Second Round | | |
| 2012–13 | Amanda Butler | 22–15 | 6–10 | T–8th | WNIT Semifinals | | |
| 2013–14 | Amanda Butler | 20–13 | 8–8 | 5th | NCAA Second round | | |
| 2014–15 | Amanda Butler | 13–17 | 5–11 | 12th | | | |
| 2015–16 | Amanda Butler | 22–8 | 10–6 | T–4th | NCAA First Round | | |
| 2016–17 | Amanda Butler | 15–16 | 5–11 | T–11th | | | |
| Amanda Butler: | Amanda Butler: | 190–136 | 71–85 | | | | |
| Cameron Newbauer (SEC) (2017–2021) ||||||||
| 2017–18 | Cameron Newbauer | 11–19 | 3–13 | T-11th | | | |
| 2018–19 | Cameron Newbauer | 8–23 | 3–13 | T-12th | | | |
| 2019–20 | Cameron Newbauer | 15–15 | 6–10 | 10th | | | |
| 2020–21 | Cameron Newbauer | 12–14 | 3–11 | 11th | WNIT Second Round | | |
| Cameron Newbauer: | Cameron Newbauer: | 46–71 | 15–47 | | | | |
| Kelly Rae Finley (SEC) (2021–Present) ||||||||
| 2021-22 | Kelly Rae Finley | 21-11 | 10-6 | 5th | NCAA First Round | 23 | 21 |
| 2022-23 | Kelly Rae Finley | 19–15 | 5–11 | T-10th | | | |
| 2023-24 | Kelly Rae Finley | 16-16 | 5-11 | | WBIT First Round | | |
| Kelly Rae Finley: | Kelly Rae Finley: | 46-28 | 15-17 | | | | |
| Total: | Total: | 790–672 (.540) | | | | | |
| National champion   Postseason invitational champion   Conference regular season champion   Conference regular season and conference tournament champion  Division regular season champion  Division regular season and conference tournament champion  Conference tournament champion ||||||||

## NCAA tournament results

| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1993 | #10 | First Round Second Round | #7 Bowling Green #2 Virginia | W 69-67 L 55-69 |
| 1994 | #4 | First Round | #13 Texas A&M | L 76-78 |
| 1995 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #11 Radford #3 Virginia | W 89-49 L 67-72 |
| 1996 | #5 | First Round | #12 San Francisco | L 61-68 |
| 1997 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #14 FIU #6 USC #2 Louisiana Tech #1 Old Dominion | W 92-68 W 92-78 W 71-57 L 51-53 |
| 1998 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #14 Montana #11 Virginia Tech #2 Duke | W 85-64 W 89-57 L 58-71 |
| 1999 | #11 | First Round | #6 Arizona | L 84-87 (OT) |
| 2001 | #3 | First Round Second Round | #14 Holy Cross #6 Washington | W 84-52 L 75-86 |
| 2002 | #6 | First Round | #11 BYU | L 52-90 |
| 2004 | #5 | First Round Second Round | #12 New Mexico #4 Baylor | W 68-56 L 76-91 |
| 2006 | #6 | First Round | #11 New Mexico | L 59-83 |
| 2009 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 Temple #1 Connecticut | W 70-57 L 59-87 |
| 2012 | #9 | First Round Second Round | #8 Ohio State #1 Baylor | W 70-65 L 57-76 |
| 2014 | #11 | First Round Second Round | #6 Dayton #3 Penn State | W 83-69 L 61-83 |
| 2016 | #5 | First Round | #12 Albany | L 59-61 |
| 2022 | #10 | First Round | #7 UCF | L 52-69 |

## Player awards
### National awards

* Wade Trophy
    DeLisha Milton – 1997

### SEC Awards

* Player of the Year Award
    DeLisha Milton – 1997

## WNBA basketball players

Florida has produced a number of players for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
* Vanessa Hayden – Drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx; currently playing with the Los Angeles Sparks
* Tammy Jackson – Drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 1997 WNBA Draft; played five seasons with the Houston Comets where she won four straight WNBA Titles
* Merlakia Jones – Drafted with the 13th overall pick in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft by the now defunct Cleveland Rockers; she played a total of 8 seasons in the WNBA
* Brandi McCain – Drafted by the Cleveland Rockers with the 24th overall pick in 2002
* DeLisha Milton-Jones – Drafted with the 4th overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks; she was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2004 and traded back to the Sparks in 2007
* Murriel Page – Drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the 3rd overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft; played for the Sparks for 11 seasons
* Bridget Pettis – Drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft by the Phoenix Mercury; spent five seasons with the Mercury before being traded to the Indiana Fever, where she played two seasons, in 2002; she returned to the WNBA for one final season with Phoenix in 2006
* Tamara Stocks – Drafted by the Washington Mystics with the 25th overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft
* Tiffany Travis – Drafted with the 27th overall pick by the Charlotte Sting in the 2000 WNBA Draft
* Sophia Witherspoon – Drafted with the 11th overall pick by the New York Liberty in the 1997 WNBA Draft; she played for the Liberty, the Fire, and the Sparks in her seven seasons in the league