Florida State Basketball is officially back! The Women’s team kicked off their first of two exhibition games in Birmingham, Alabama this past week as they lost 91-71 in a loss to the Crimson Tide. Surely, the game wasn’t the result they wanted as the team shot 36 percent from the floor. However, it was great for Seminole fans to watch their favorite team suit up after being gone for seven months.
Keep in mind that this is a brand new team compared to last season. While Florida State did have three returners from last year, the rest of the roster featured transfers and High School commits. Luckily, there’s plenty to be excited for when it comes to this team. Despite the loss against Alabama, there were good signs during the game for fans to be excited about heading into this season.
- Perimeter Defense
The perimeter defense is something that stood out to me in Thursday’s game. It’s funny for me to say that considering Florida State allowed Alabama to shoot 45 percent from three. Despite some of the poor efforts to close out on shooters, there were a few great moments where Florida State was able to get stops on the defensive end.
The defense is going to start with senior guard Amaya Bonner. As one of the captains and returners for the team, Bonner knows what it takes to compete at the highest level. She set the tone defensively with her length, physicality, and active hands to disrupt ball-handlers and force turnovers. Defensively, Bonner has a strong showing as her energy rubbed off on the rest of the team.
Other players like Sydney Bowles and Jasmine Shavers also had a good showing defensively on Thursday. What stands out is their attention to detail and always keeping their eye on the ball. Shavers was actively switching onto ball handlers and making them uncomfortable with her size. Meanwhile, Bowles was very active with her weak side help but coming over and preventing entry passes.
The wing players were very active defensively on Thursday. To tell the truth, they’ll be the focal points on that end throughout the season. The ACC is a conference that features terrific guard play. Therefore, perimeter defense will continue to be a top priority for Florida State this season.
- Sole Williams Shows Her Versatility
Transfers thrive at Florida State University. The Women’s Basketball Program has a rich history of players who came in with a fresh beginning to become their best. Sole Williams is a transfer who is going to be huge for the Seminoles this season. After spending her first two seasons at Texas A&M, she’s coming to Florida State with a bigger role as one of the team’s leaders.
Williams delivered a stat line of 9 points along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in Thursday’s matchup. The box score doesn’t tell the whole story, to say the least. What stands out is Williams’ confidence as a playmaker. She came to Florida State as an elite shot creator. However, her quick decision-making was also beneficial for the Seminoles. Williams being in control of the offense in certain lineups allowed more movement and quality shots. As she draws attention from the defense, it allows a quality look for one of her teammates.
This season, Sydney Bowles will be the number one option offensively for Florida State. However, that second or third spot could easily belong to Sole Williams. Florida State’s offense featured fast pace, high-level scoring. That’s right up Williams’ alley as she shows fearlessness on the offensive end.
- Pania Davis’ Growth: What is her ceiling?
I’ve been ecstatic about Pania Davis joining the Seminoles. When she made her commitment a year ago, I immediately did my homework and was impressed with how she impacts the game. Davis has tremendous upside as a post player. She can play with her back to the basket as well as face up and space the floor.
Davis was the second leading scorer against Alabama with 14 points and recorded 9 rebounds. Considering she spent her first few college seasons at JUCO, it will take time for her to adjust to Division I basketball. The biggest challenge for Davis this season is to learn how to play through physicality, which is normally required as a post player. With repetition, Davis will continue to grow as an all-around player through the course of the season.
Like Williams, Davis will be one of the top options offensively for Florida State. With her skill set, how could a team not look to get her the ball on that end? The Seminoles recruited Davis to be one of the team’s next stars moving forward. Although she has big shoes to fill being Florida State’s starting center, Davis will be up to the challenge and deliver strong performances.