UF women's hoops opens season

<p>When UF women’s basketball coach Amanda Butler took over the program two years ago, she inherited a team that was built for success but struggling in its current direction. Under her guidance, Sha Brooks, Marshae Dotson and Aneika Henry earned professional contracts overseas and brought the program to new heights.</p><p> </p><p>So as season three of the Butler era kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. in the O’Connell Center against Stetson, the coach’s biggest task becomes finding out who, or what, her current team is.</p><p> </p><p>With Brooks in Turkey and Dotson in Israel, the new-look Gators will look to iron out any preseason wrinkles on the court. Butler was still coy about her starting lineup in the days leading up to the game and insists that she could go with multiple lineups based on each game’s competition.</p><p> </p><p>What is known is that this team should have no problem shooting the ball from outside. Steffi Sorensen is the group’s leading returning scorer and was far and away the best shooter on the club last season, completing 39.2 percent of her three-point opportunities. Susan Yenser and Jen Mossor, recovered from a torn ACL, return to boost the team’s range. To make it harder on opposing defenses, the three are now joined by sharpshooting freshman Lily Svete and South Carolina transfer Jordan Jones, who led the SEC is 3-point shooting percentage as a freshman.</p><p> </p><p>But after deciding against scheduling an exhibition this season, Butler won’t know much about her team until it takes the court for a real game against real opponents.</p><p> </p><p>“Hopefully, the change we’ll see (from practices) is in a higher level of intensity,” she said. “The only thing we’ve been able to do at this point is practice to get ready to practice again.”</p><p> </p><p>Florida is 23-1 all-time against the Hatters, who are led by 5-foot-11 junior forward Jessica Conner (9.1 points, 7.3 rebounds per game last season). The game will be the first in a Stetson uniform for former Gator guard Kerri Simpson, who sat out last season after transferring last season. It’ll also be the first for 6-4 center Daphnee Frieson, who has completed her transfer from Ole’ Miss.</p><p> </p><p>This is the second year in a row that UF has started its season against an Atlantic Sun Conference opponent. Last year, Butler’s group dropped the season opener at Florida Gulf Coast before reeling off 22 wins in its next 23 games and rising to a top-10 national ranking.</p><p> </p><p>As an added bonus for fans attending the game, everyone in the O’Dome before 2 p.m. can stay after the contest to watch the Florida football team’s game at South Carolina on the big screens. Concessions will remain open for dollar day deals and the Gator pep band and Dazzlers will be on hand.</p>