Florida women’s basketball head coach Kelly Rae Finley just wrapped up her postgame media session following Sunday afternoon’s 74-63 defeat to South Carolina.
Coach Opens With Gratitude Despite Loss
Finley kicked things off by acknowledging the quality of competition we witnessed today, expressing appreciation to Gator Nation faithful who packed the arena. She made a passionate plea for continued support, telling the crowd that this squad is worth watching and deserves their presence.
There was clear frustration in her voice as she assessed the outcome. She gave credit where it’s due, calling South Carolina an exceptional squad that’s well-coached and operates with remarkable discipline. But Finley also emphasized her team’s execution, saying they stuck to their strategy and battled until the final buzzer.
“That was a great basketball game. Thanks to all of the Gator Nation that was able to come out and support. I just encourage you to continue to show up for this team because they’re fun to watch. They deserve you to be there. We need your support,” she told us. “I think we’re a little bit frustrated. I’m a little frustrated. It’s a very good South Carolina team. They’re very well coached and very disciplined. I thought we did an exceptionally good job of sticking to our game plan, executing, and fighting to the end.”
She pointed out that the game remained within two possessions until the late-game fouling strategy kicked in, and she sees this performance as just a glimpse of where the program is heading. Once again, she urged fans to show up and be part of the journey: “That’s the tip of the iceberg Florida basketball is, and where we’re headed. And I just encourage everybody to come out, show up, and help us complete.”
Praise for Dakic’s Contribution
When I asked about Emilija Dakic’s performance, Finley was effusive in her praise. She explained that “Mills” earned her opportunity through film-room excellence, making minimal mistakes on the court.
“Mills just earned the opportunity. When we watch film back, she makes very limited errors, if any errors at all, on the court. She’s steady, she’s consistent. She’s bought in, she knows what’s expected of her, she believes that her role is important,” the coach explained.
Finley highlighted Dakic’s mental adaptability as a key differentiator, noting it elevates the team on both ends of the floor. While pleased with the individual performance, she acknowledged the disappointment of not securing the win: “I thought she played a good game tonight, though I know we wanted to come out on the other end with a victory.”
McGill-Johnson Matchup Delivers High-Level Defense
I finished by asking about the Liv McGill versus Raven Johnson matchup — a classic case of elite defenders going head-to-head.
Finley acknowledged Johnson’s defensive prowess and said both players defended at an extremely high level. She noted that McGill faced various assignments throughout the contest and handled Johnson’s physical, hands-on approach effectively.
“Raven’s a good defender. I thought that they defended each other extremely well,” she said. “She’s a handsy defender. Liv does an exceptionally good job understanding the angles, game plan, situations, and just being able to put us in a position to be successful. That is a good matchup that I thought Liv excelled in.”
That’s the latest from the postgame press room. Reporting live, back to you.
