WBB Preview: Arkansas at Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Arkansas women’s basketball (11-13, 0-9 SEC) heads back on the road to face Florida (14-11, 2-8 SEC) on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised live on SEC Network with Sam Gore (play-by-play) and Brooke Weisbrod (analyst) on the call. Sunday’s game will not air on the radio.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Arkansas and Florida will meet for the 46th time since the Razorbacks joined the SEC for the 1991-92 season. The Gators won the last meeting, in Fayetteville in 2025, 108-78. Florida has won two of the last five meetings and three straight in Gainesville. The Hogs’ last win at Florida came in 2020 when then-No. 21 Arkansas won 79-57. Record against: 13-32 In Fayetteville: 8-12 In Gainesville: 4-15 Neutral: 1-5
QUICK HITS
Arkansas enters its 25th game overall and its 10th SEC game of the Kelsi Musick era. Musick has never faced Florida. The Razorbacks started SEC play with four straight ranked matchups: #12 Vanderbilt, at #24 Alabama, #3 South Carolina and at #20 Tennessee. Seven of Arkansas’ first 10 SEC opponents are ranked in this week’s AP top 25. • Bonnie Deas’ 215 rebounds rank fifth in the SEC and 35th nationally. As a team, Arkansas ranks fifth in the SEC and 18th nationally with 42.29 rebounds per game. Taleyah Jones ranks ninth in the SEC and 72nd nationally with 17.2 points per game. Next up: The Razorbacks head to Ole Miss on Thursday, Feb. 12.
LAST TIME OUT
Arkansas came close to its first SEC win but lost its rematch to Missouri, 87-83, its first single-digit loss of the season. The Razorbacks’ 83 points were the most against an SEC team this season. Taleyah Jones led the Hogs with 24 points, her 13th game as Arkansas’ scoring leader. Jones has collected 18 games in double-figures and nine with at least 20 points. Freshman Bonnie Deas finished with six points, an SEC-high 13 rebounds and tied her career-high with seven assists. Senior Wyvette Mayberry finished with a season-high 19 points on 7-13 shooting. The Hogs made an SEC-play high 14 threes on 43 attempts (32.6%).
ON THE GATORS
Florida is coming off its second SEC win of the season, its rematch against Auburn, 61-53, on Thursday night in a defensive battle. Florida’s other win came against Mizzou on Jan. 18, 89-71. The Gators are led by sophomore guard Liv McGill with 22.1 points per game which ranks 10th nationally and second in the SEC.
GETTING BETTER
Arkansas got off to a bad start in its first five SEC games of the season. Playing four straight ranked opponents didn’t help, but the worst loss came at unranked Mizzou on Jan. 15, 94-69. ¬ In the first five games, the Hogs averaged just 59.2 points and shot 34% from the field with 20.4 turnovers a game. Only one player (Jones) was scoring in double figures. Since the Georgia game on Jan. 22 (which Arkansas would’ve won if not for a one-point second quarter), the Hogs are scoring 72.8 points per game and up to 39.6% from the field. Turnovers are down to 14.3 per game and the team is actually forcing five more turnovers from opponents. Three Razorbacks have 10+ points per game in this stretch: Jones (20.0), Deas (13.0) and Robinson (12.8). Arkansas has trailed by single digits in the last three halftime scores (LSU, Kentucky, Missouri). The Hogs were supposed to face Texas on Jan. 25 but the game was postponed to Feb. 19 due to winter weather.
MUSIC CITY CLASSIC
The Hogs picked up a pair of wins at the Music City Classic in Nasvhille, Tennessee. Arkansas led wire-to-wire against Drake for a 79-71 win, and came back from down 12 points to defeat Southern Illinois, 73-63. Arkansas guard Taleyah Jones was named the event’s MVP after scoring 38 points over the two games (15 & 23). The Music City Classic was the Razorbacks’ only multi-team event this season.
MVP
Taleyah Jones is Arkansas’ leading scorer through 24 games with 17.2 points per game, good enough for top 10 in the SEC and No. 72 nationally. Jones has collected 18 10-plus point games and nine 20-plus point games this season. She’s led Arkansas in scoring 13 times this season. She led the Hogs in scoring in six straight games and was named MVP in November’s Music City Classic. Jones missed Arkansas’ games against Jackson State and Missouri State due to a concussion. Jones scored 24 points in her return against Kansas City on Dec. 17. Jones transferred to Arkansas after playing two seasons at Oral Roberts under Musick, where she received First and Second Team All-Summit League honors and was named the league’s newcomer of the year in 2024.
A FEW FIRSTS
Kelsi Musick is Arkansas women’s basketball’s first female head coach since Susie Gardner led the Razorbacks from 2003-2007. Hometown firsts: Danika Galea is the first Maltin player in Razorback history. Aisha Hassan is the first Egyptian player in Razorback history. Ashlynn Chlarson is the first Arizonan in Razorback history.
50 SEASONS
Arkansas women’s basketball will celebrate its 50th season in 2025-26. The program was founded in 1976 and has accumulated 894 wins since its first game against North Arkansas CC on Nov. 19, 1976. The Razorbacks’ first win came on Dec. 1, 1976 against John Brown, 92-87.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
Freshman guard Bonnie Deas made quite the impression following the first week of the college basketball season. Deas averaged 18.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, the most by a freshman in the country through the first three games. Deas picked up recognition from the SEC, earning freshman of the week honors. Though her numbers have changed through 24 games, she is one of four freshmen (the only in the SEC, Big 12 or Big 10) and one of four guards (all classes, only in the SEC) in the country to average at least 10.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. Prior to Arkansas’ game against South Carolina, she, at 5-9, was the shortest player in the country to average a double-double. ¬ Deas’ 9.0 rebounds per game ranks sixth in the SEC and 51st nationally. Among freshmen, she ranks ninth in rebounds per game. Her 215 total rebounds rank fifth in the SEC and 35th nationally and seventh among freshmen. This summer, she led her country to a silver medal in the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup. Deas averaged 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3 assists in 6 games at the World Cup and earned All-Star Five team honors alongside USA’s Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, and UCLA’s Sienna Betts. Deas was Australia’s leading scorer in the championship game with 13 points in an 88-76 loss to the United States.
THE NEWCOMERS
The Razorbacks added eight newcomers to the 2025-26 roster: 5 transfers and 3 freshmen. Maria Anais Rodriguez joined Arkansas from Oklahoma State, where she saw action in 10 games during her first season, including three Big 12 games against Colorado, UCF and Arizona. On the FIBA side, she helped Spain to a 6-1 mark and the Silver Medal at the FIBA U18 Women’s Eurobasket competition in 2024 and averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists during the event.
Taleyah Jones followed Coach Musick to Arkansas after playing for her during her sophomore and junior seasons. Jones was the Summit League Newcomer of the Year in 2024 and a First Team All-Summit League selection in 2025. Last season, she led ORU’s offense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring average (83.2) with 18.1 points per game.
Wyvette Mayberry signed with Arkansas on April 3, 2025, the first signee of the Musick era. Mayberry started her career at Tulsa before transferring to Kansas after two seasons. At Tulsa, she was named to the AAC All-Freshman team and led the Golden Hurricane in scoring her sophomore season with 14.1 points per game. At Kansas, she started in 31 games her junior season and recorded four 20+ point games. She started in all 32 games during her senior year and averaged 9.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She injured her knee during her fifth year and came to Arkansas to finish her career.
Ashlynn Chlarson is the only JUCO product on this year’s team and joined Arkansas from Eastern Arizona CC in Thatcher, Arizona. In her two seasons with the Monsters, she averaged 8.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Last season, she nearly averaged a double-double, with 10.9 points/game and 9.2 rebounds/game. She earned first team all-conference, second team all-region and NJCAA All-Tournament Team honors in 2025.
Emily Robinson also made the move from Oral Roberts after a successful start to her career. She was named the 2024 Summit League Freshman of the Year after averaging 10.3 points/game, 3.7 rebounds/game and 2.5 assists/game. She was the only freshman in the league to average double figures. She started in all 33 games her sophomore season and averaged 10.0 points/game and led ORU with 3.4 assists/game. She scored 17 points in the Summit League Tournament championship game against No. 24 South Dakota State.
Harmonie Ware, Aisha Hassan and Bonnie Deas were part of the 2025 signing class that Coach Musick managed to keep following her hiring in March.
THE FIBA FOUR
Four Razorbacks represent their countries at this summer’s FIBA events. Bonnie Deas (Australia) led her country to a silver medal in the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup. Deas averaged 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3 assists in 6 games at the World Cup and earned All-Star Five team honors alongside USA’s Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, and UCLA’s Sienna Betts. Deas was Australia’s leading scorer in the championship game with 13 points in an 88-76 loss to the United States. Cristina Sanchez Cerqueira represented Spain in the U-20 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and won gold. Maria Anais Rodriguez also represented Spain at the U-19 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and earned a bronze medal. Danika Galea played for Malta in the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup and won a silver medal in the qualifier in Prishtina, Kosovo.
NEW STAFF
Joining Musick for her first season in Fayetteville are new assistant coaches Brad Johnson and Alex Furr. Johnson made the short trip from nearby Farmington, Arkansas, where he was the head coach of the highly successful Farmington High School girls program, the home of Jenna Lawrence. Overall, Johnson finished his high school coaching career with 419 wins, four state titles, eight conference titles and seven state finals appearances. Furr joins the staff from SMU, where she served as an assistant coach and director of player development for two seasons. Furr played at Fresno State from 2010-2014 and ranks in the all-time top 10 in 3-pointers made and career free throw percentage. Other new staff include Director of On-Court Development Greg Gilman and Video Coordinator Carter Mumm. Assistants Lacey Goldwire and Nick Bradford and longtime Director of Operations Amber Shirey remain on staff.
UP NEXT
The Hogs will head to Ole Miss on Thursday, Feb. 12.
For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on social media.
