{"id":444244,"date":"2026-11-01T12:24:08","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T12:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/444244\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T12:24:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T12:24:08","slug":"womens-basketball-opens-2026-27-season-monday-vs-bucknell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/444244\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s basketball opens 2026-27 season Monday vs. Bucknell"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2014 The Florida women’s basketball team tips off its 2026-27 season Monday, Nov. 2 with almost an entirely new look this year, as Head Coach Tammi Reiss<\/a> puts her stamp on the Gators in her inaugural season in Gainesville. Tip at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center is at 6 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

Reiss is the 12th head coach in Florida Women’s Basketball history. The program’s previous 11 head coaches are a combined 8-3 in their first games with the Gators, with each of the last eight coaches emerging victorious on opening night. Debbie Yow, who was the head coach from 1983-85, won the first nine games of her Florida coaching career. No other coach has won more than three straight to begin their first season.<\/p>\n

The revamped roster is led by All-American transfer Kiyomi McMiller<\/a>, who scored 30 or more points in six consecutive games a year ago, including a career-high 40 against Southern Cal. McMiller’s Penn State teammate Moriah Murray<\/a> also joins the Gators after connecting on 39.8 percent of her three-pointers a year ago, and posting back-to-back seasons of 70 or more made threes.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Harris<\/a>, who was named Atlantic 10 Sixth Woman of the Year at Rhode Island last season, joined Coach Reiss in making her way to the Sunshine State. Junior college transfer Ja’Niya Broome<\/a>, who led the NSJCAA with 94 made threes, and finished second in the nation with a scoring average of 22.6 points, is also donning the orange and blue for the first time.<\/p>\n

Jade Weathersby<\/a> is the lone returning member of the Gators. She finished fifth in the team in scoring, and third in rebounding and three-point field goal percentage a year ago.<\/p>\n

Although this is the first meeting between Florida and Bucknell, Moriah Murray<\/a> is no stranger to the Bison, as the first game in each of her four collegiate campaigns came against Bucknell. Penn State played the Bison to tip off the year in Murray’s freshman, sophomore and junior seasons going 3-0 in the process.<\/p>\n

Bucknell is coming off of an 11-19 season, and a sixth-place finish in the Patriot League, and conference coaches picked the Bison to again finish sixth in 2026-27. Five of the team’s top six scorers from a year ago are back led by junior G\/F Elana Weisman (10.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg).<\/p>\n

Bucknell’s calling card in 2025-26 was its defense, as it held opponents to just 56.9 points per game \u2014 the 21st lowest figure in the nation. On the flip side, the Bison scored just 52.7 points per game, which ranked 360 out of 363 Division I teams.

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\nBUCKNELL (0-0)
\n \n<\/p>\n


\n\tDate: Monday, Nov. 2
\n\tTime: 6 p.m. ET
\n\tSite: Stephen C. O’Connell Center
\n\tListen: Gators+<\/a>
\n\tWatch: SECN+<\/a>
\n\tLive Stats: StatBroadcast<\/a> <\/p>\n

TALE OF THE TAPE<\/p>\n


\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tBucknell
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t73.2
\n\t\t\tPPG
\n\t\t\t52.7
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t66.8
\n\t\t\tOPP PPG
\n\t\t\t56.9
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+6.5
\n\t\t\tSCORING MARGIN
\n\t\t\t-4.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t44.8
\n\t\t\tFG %
\n\t\t\t38.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t40.1
\n\t\t\tOPP FG%
\n\t\t\t38.8
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t29.0
\n\t\t\t3 FG%
\n\t\t\t28.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t29.7
\n\t\t\tOPP 3 FG%
\n\t\t\t29.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t5.4
\n\t\t\t3FG\/G
\n\t\t\t5.4
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t70.1
\n\t\t\tFT %
\n\t\t\t70.9
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t37.7
\n\t\t\tREBOUNDS\/G
\n\t\t\t30.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t36.5
\n\t\t\tOPP REBOUNDS\/G
\n\t\t\t35.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+1.1
\n\t\t\tREB MARGIN
\n\t\t\t-5.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t13.3
\n\t\t\tASSISTS\/G
\n\t\t\t11.5
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t16.9
\n\t\t\tTURNOVER\/G
\n\t\t\t14.5
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+0.79
\n\t\t\tA\/TO RATIO
\n\t\t\t+0.80
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t9.33
\n\t\t\tSTEALS\/G
\n\t\t\t7.10
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t4.03
\n\t\t\tBLOCKS\/G
\n\t\t\t3.63
\n\t\t
\n\t <\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nPROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nGATOR BITES<\/p>\n


\n\tFor the first time since the initial poll of the 2022-23 campaign, the Florida Gators are receiving votes in the USA Today poll. They received the 38th most votes of any team in the nation.
\n\tFlorida has just one player returning from the 2025-26 roster, senior Jade Weathersby<\/a>. Weathersby was fifth on the team in scoring last season, and third in rebounding and three-point field goal percentage
\n\tKiyomi McMiller<\/a> enjoyed an All-American season at Penn State last year when she finished 12th in the nation in scoring. She was also one of only five players in the country to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and four assists on the season.
\n\tThe Gators have a pair of career, 1,000-point scorers on their roster in Jordan Jones<\/a> (1,193) and Kiyomi McMiller<\/a> (1,020). They could have two more by season’s end in Jade Weathersby<\/a> (765) and Moriah Murray<\/a> (704).
\n\tAlthough Jade Weathersby<\/a> is the lone player to return from the 2025-26 squad, she isn’t the only player with SEC experience. Taliyah Parker<\/a> played for the Texas A&M Aggies during the 2024-25 season where she averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds as a freshman.
\n\tFlorida has 12 games this season against ranked opponents, or opponents who are receiving votes, in the most recent Associated Press and USA Today polls.
\n\tSEC media members picked the Gators to finish 12th in the league, while SEC coaches tabbed Florida to finish 11th. <\/p>\n

BUCKNELL QUICK HITS<\/p>\n


\n\tBucknell is coming off of an 11-19 season, and a sixth-place finish in the Patriot League
\n\tConference coaches picked the Bison to finish sixth in 2026-27.
\n\tBucknell returns five of its six top scorers from a year ago, losing only leading scorer Tuana Coskun, who averaged 13.1 points per game a year ago.
\n\tJunior G\/F Elana Weisman (10.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg) is the team’s leading returning scorer.
\n\tThe Bison’s held opponents to 56.9 points per game a year ago \u2014 the 21st lowest figure in the nation.
\n\tBucknell scored 52.7 points per game a year ago, which ranked 360 out of 363 Division I teams. <\/p>\n

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