ANNAPOLIS, Md.— The Florida Women’s Basketball Team takes its undefeated record on the road for the first time in the 2025-26 season as the Gators face the Navy Midshipmen, Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. EST.
 
Florida won its first four games of the year, all in the friendly confines of Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators are beating teams by an average of 42.0 points, averaging 94.3 points per game, and connecting on 53.1 percent of their field goal attempts during that stretch.
 
Only four teams in program history have opened a season with five straight victories—the 1983-84, 1984-85, 1995-96 and 2000-01 squads. Each of those versions of the Gators went on to win their first nine contests in a row.
 
Sophomore point guard Liv McGill continues to lead the Gators’ offensive charge, averaging 25.8 points, 7.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 4.25 steals per game. She was named one of the US Basketball Writers Association National Players of the Week, and the SEC Player of the Week following the first three games of the season.
 
Through games played Friday, Nov. 14, McGill ranks sixth among all NCAA Division I players in scoring, 12th in assists per game, and tied for 17th in steals per game. She leads the SEC in scoring average, is third in assists per game, while ranking third in steals per game, and tied for third in made three-pointers per game.

McGill has received plenty of assistance, however, as sophomore forward Me’Arah O’Neal posted three consecutive double-doubles to start the year, and is averaging 16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.50 blocks while connecting on 53.8 percent of her field goal attempts.

 

Junior guard Laila Reynolds is averaging 13.3 points and 2.50 steals per game. Sunday’s game is something of a homecoming for the Shebach Christian Academy product as she grew up in nearby Prince George’s County.

 

Freshman Nyadieng Yiech is averaging 9.5 points per contest following a career-high, 18-point outburst vs Samford on Thursday evening which saw her make all eight of her field goal attempts.

 

Navy brings a 2-0 record into Sunday with a road win over Delaware, 68-61, and a home victory vs. Longwood, 74-66. Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year Zanai Barnett-Gay is averaging a 20.5-point, 11.5-rebound double-double on the year, while handing out 4.5 assists per game. Zoe Mesuch (15.5 ppg) and Julianna Almeida (10.0) also score in double figures for the Midshipmen.

Navy (2-0)

A FLORIDA WIN WOULD …

• Improve the Gators record to 5-0 on the season, and 20-2 at home in the month of November during the Kelly Rae Finley era.
• Mark the first time since 2000-01 that the Gators began a season with a 5-0 record. That 2000-01 squad went on to win nine straight before dropping a decision, tying the program record for most consecutive wins to start a season, originally set by the 1983-84 Gators and later matched by the 1984-85 and 1995-96 versions.
• Improve the Gators record against the Midshipmen to 3-0.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Florida		Navy
94.3	PPG	71.0
52.3	OPP PPG	63.5
+42.0	SCORING MARGIN	+7.5
53.1	FG %	42.5
34.5	OPP FG%	35.6
30.6	3 FG%	24.5
28.8	OPP 3 FG%	12.5
6.5	3FG/G	6.5
70.9	FT %	73.3
43.0	REBOUNDS/G	44.5
29.3	OPP REBOUNDS/G	35.0
+14.7	REB MARGIN	+9.5
15.0	ASSISTS/G	14.5
13.0	TURNOVER/G	20.0
+1.15	A/TO RATIO	+0.73
12.8	STEALS/G	5.50
3.00	BLOCKS/G	3.00

THE SERIES
The Gators are 2-0 against Navy.

GATORS vs. MIDSHIPMEN HISTORY

Florida is 2-0 all-time against the Midshipmen. Both prior meetings between the clubs have come on neutral floors, including the most recent, 52-43, Gators victory on Nov. 27, 2010 in the championship game of the Dead River Company Classic hosted by the University of Maine. Florida held the Midshipmen to 36.4 percent shooting, including a 5-for-21 effort from three-point range. Jaterra Bonds’ 11 points led a balanced Florida scoring effort. Azania Stewart grabbed 14 rebounds including nine on the offensive end, and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS

 
GATOR BITES

• Through games of Friday, Nov. 14, Florida ranks third in the SEC this season in points per game (94.3), fifth in scoring margin (+42.0), fourth in field goal percentage (.531), sixth in rebound margin (+13.8), fifth in steals (12.8), second in turnover margin (+11.8), and sixth in defensive rebound percentage (.748).
• Liv McGill just missed out on her second career triple-double with a 26-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist effort vs. North Florida on Nov. 3. She came up two rebounds shy in the Gators following game against Chattanooga on Nov. 6 with 38 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.
• Liv McGill became the first player in Gators women’s basketball history to be named a US Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Week on Tuesday, Nov. 11. She averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 5.00 steals while connecting on 40.9 percent of her three-point field goal attempts in Florida’s three wins. She also was named the SEC Player of the Week for her performance during that same stretch of games.
• Liv McGill’s 611 points a year ago were the third most in the nation among freshman and set a Florida program record for freshmen.
• Liv McGill has reached double figures in 37 of her 41 outings at Florida.
• Laila Reynolds was a perfect 10 for 10 from the free throw line on Nov. 10 vs. Jacksonville.
• Me’Arah O’Neal has three double-doubles this season after recording one in her freshman campaign.
• Nyadieng Yiech went a perfect eight for eight from the field in the Gators win over Samford on Nov. 13.

PROJECTED NAVY STARTERS

	No.	Ht.	Pos.	Class	Hometown/Previous School
Zanai Gay-Barnett	4	5-8	G	Jr.	Glen Dale, Md.
Julianna Almeida	6	5-9	G	So.	North Arlington, N.J.
Zoe Mesuch	11	5-5	G	Fr.	Clintondale, N.Y.
Maren Louridas	30	6-0	G	Sr.	Delmar, N.Y.
Kate Samson	44	6-4	C	Sr.	Richmond, Va.

 
NAVY QUICK HITS

• Zanai Barnett-Gay was named the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year
• Zanai Barnett-Gay was named the Naval Academy Athletic Association Athlete of the Week for  following her 16-point, 10-rebound performance in the team’s season opening win over Delaware.
• The Midshipmen have forced the opposition to miss 28 of 32 three-pointers this season.

FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators