The Florida State women’s basketball team hit the hardwood of the Tucker Center on Wednesday night to open the 2024-2025 season. The Seminoles welcomed the University of Tampa for the first of two exhibition games.
From the opening tip, this game was clearly one-sided and stayed that way until the final buzzer.
FSU returns seniors O’Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson and junior Ta’Niya Latson to make up the core of this team, so everything will be running through them. The trio accounted for 61 of the Seminoles’ 91 points on the night. When they’re not on the court, the team still has room to grow. But the team, for the most part, looks the same as last year.
The Garnet and Gold had active hands all night when it came to their defense, accounting for 21 steals in a 91-46 rout of Tampa. Despite the lopsided affair against an overmatched Tampa, FSU coach Brooke Wyckoff was pleased with her team’s performance on the night and is excited for the season to begin.
“These exhibition games are great opportunities for us to finally play somebody else other than ourselves or against our male practice players,” Wyckoff said. “I liked what I saw. We did a great job on the boards in the second half, we had great performances from Ta’Niya Latson in very few minutes. And I really liked a lot of things I saw from our newcomers like Raiane Dias Dos Santos, who had five steals.”
Sophomore shooting guard Carla Viegas is a player to watch this year. She only attempted three shots from outside and made one, but the way she moves without the basketball to get open has clearly improved. Her shooting form looks fluid and quick, too. Viegas looks comfortable in the system and has come a long way in just a year.
After an off-season with a strength program and hours in the practice facility jacking up shots, Viegas has developed nicely and could become one of Florida States best shooters.
“She’s one of the best 3-point shooters in the world, that’s why we recruited her,” Wyckoff said. “All the other things had to come, her strength, understanding this type of basketball over here, but she’s a really smart basketball player and she’s gotten stronger.”
The Seminoles also features no freshmen, which was not by design.
“We tried with the freshmen that we recruited but we weren’t able to get the ones we wanted, but it worked out great. We have a veteran team,” said Wyckoff.
The shortest-tenured FSU players are Viegas and power forward Avery Treadwell, so the ’Noles aren’t lacking experience.
The Seminoles are back on the brand-new court and shiny new LED lights of the Tucker Center on Oct. 30 when they welcome West Florida for a 6 p.m. tipoff.
