With teammates departing, one Florida player chose to stay, believing in the new coach's vision to rebuild and lead Florida to victory.
In March, the Florida Gators decided to make a change with the women's basketball team, firing head coach Kelly Finley after an 18-15 season for the 2025-26 campaign.
Finley had a promising season in 2022 when the program made it to the NCAA Tournament. But the Gators didn't make another appearance without Finley, who went 93–75 during her five seasons in Gainesville.
Florida hired former WNBA player Tammi Reiss, who coached Rhode Island to the NCAA Tournament this spring.
After Reiss was hired, Jade Weathersby chose to stay on at Florida. She's currently the only player on the Gators roster this spring.
Weathersby decided to stick with Reiss, believing she can build a strong program.
"I definitely have gotten that question a good amount. Everybody has their reason for leaving, and I wish my teammates the best," Weathersby said, via the Gators. "But the reason I stayed is because I believe in Tammi and what she's building.
"I know NIL is a big thing now, and people can make money, but for me, it's not about that. I want to play for a coach who has the right idea about leadership and wants to carry the team to wins. Plus, this is the University of Florida. This is a great school. So instead of asking me, 'Why stay?,' for me, it's more like, 'Why not?'"
Weathersby averaged 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists for the Gators in her junior season. The native of Aurora, Colorado, has high hopes for the 2026-27 season.
"I'd love to see us hang a '26-27 banner," Weathersby said. "But honestly, just winning games and doing it with a good culture behind us, that would be very satisfying. Doing it as a team and doing it the right way, that's what really is going to matter."
Weathersby has proven to be a true Gator through this process. She made a bold statement by choosing to stick with Florida despite watching her teammates leave in the transfer portal.
Under Reiss, Weathersby could be in line for a breakout season. She could play a major role in building something special in Gainesville.