Florida Women’s Basketball Loses Star Guard Liv McGill to Transfer Portal

Star guard Liv McGill announced Monday she will enter the NCAA transfer portal, delivering a major blow to the Florida Gators women’s basketball program during a pivotal offseason transition.

McGill, a sophomore and the highest-ranked recruit in program history, exits Gainesville after a record-breaking season in which she averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. Her 697 total points set a new single-season program record last season, earning her First-Team All-SEC honors along with multiple All-America honorable mentions.

“it’s over now, you hear it loud from me,” she wrote on Instagram, thanking former coach Kelly Rae Finely and Gator Nation.

One of her most memorable performances came in November, when she posted 38 points and 10 assists against Chattanooga, becoming the first player in Florida basketball history, men’s or women’s, to reach such marks in a single game.

Her departure comes just weeks after Florida fired Finley and hired Tammi Reiss, who led Rhode Island women’s basketball to a 28-5 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance this past season. Now the second Gator to enter the portal, joining Sarah Deng, McGill’s exit dismantles the Gators’ “Big 3,” which included Me’Arah O’Neal and Laila Reynolds, and leaves a major gap in both production and leadership.

For McGill, the move represents both opportunity and uncertainty. As one of the top guards in the country, she is expected to be one of the most sought-after players in the portal. A change of scenery could offer a fresh system, a national contender, or a program better aligned with her long-term goals, including WNBA aspirations.

Reiss emphasized roster retention as her top priority during her introductory press conference, but McGill’s decision underscores the challenge of rebuilding in today’s transfer portal era. The new coach must now quickly pivot, using the portal to replace elite production while also establishing a new culture.

With the portal officially open, Florida’s offseason just became significantly more urgent and far more uncertain.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Women's Basketball