Florida State is where transfers thrive. When a player comes into a new situation, the program allows them a fresh start to come in and be their best. That has been the case with Sydney Bowles during her first season in Garnet and Gold. Through the first month of the season, Bowles has made a significant impact that has helped the Seminoles get off to a 9-2 start.
What’s made Bowles an intricate piece for Florida State this season has been her offense. She’s shooting from the three-point line with tremendous confidence while also finding ways to attack the baseline and get to the rim. As a big guard, Bowles often has an advantage against defenders. When she looks to score, she doesn’t mind being assertive on the offensive end. It takes pressure off the top players on the team and allows her to shine as well.
Bowles’ college career has had its rollercoaster moments, to say the least. The former Texas A&M Aggie took the NCAA by storm her freshman year, averaging 9.1 points and being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. However, Bowles’ minutes dwindled from 29.5 as a freshman to 14.9 as a sophomore. Surely, losing playing time played a significant role in why she entered her name in the transfer portal.
Sydney Bowles and the Seminoles was the perfect marriage. Florida State needed big guards who could produce on both ends of the floor. Despite having an elite guard lineup of O’Mariah Gordon, Ta’Niya Latson, and Sara Bejedi, the team was small at the wing position. Bowles knew she could make a difference at Florida State. She watched the team’s success over the past few years and wanted to be a part of a great program in the ACC.
“I wanted a better opportunity for myself,” Bowles stated at Florida State’s Tip-Off event in October. Bowles has not disappointed since she has put on a Garnet and Gold thread. She’s averaging 11 points while shooting 43 percent from the field. Bowles kicked off the season with 18 points on 57% shooting in Florida State’s 119-49 win over North Florida. What stood out in the contest was her off-ball movement. Bowles understands when to be in the right spots at the right time. As she shares the floor next to great players, she takes advantage of open opportunities while forcing the defense to pay. Bowles has also produced more strong performances like 17 points vs Samford as well as 17 points vs Gonzaga.
As Florida State wraps up non-conference play next week, the next big test will be their ACC matchups. They set the tone for how they wanted conference play to be as they defeated SMU. Moving forward, they’ll have to prepare for teams like Notre Dame, Duke, NC State, and others. As the Noles take on a competing ACC, they’ll need the same production from Sydney Bowles as they have over the first month of the season.