The FSU women play host to Bethune-Cookman in an Education Game beginning at 11 a.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The game will be on local radio (96.5 FM) as well as a live stream on ACC Network Extra. FSU welcomes transfers Jazmine Massengill and Taylor O’Brien on the 10-player roster. Talented freshman Ta'Niya Latson makes her debut today, too. The Seminoles will welcome several area school kids to the arena in what will be an opportunity to take a field trip and watch some basketball. FSU-BCU is one of nine 11 a.m. matchups across the country that tips off the season on Monday.
Here are some preseason notes from FSU sports information:
Here are some preseason notes from FSU sports information:
- Brooke Wyckoff makes her official debut as the head coach of Florida State Women’s Basketball on Monday. The proud FSU Alumna went 10-9 on an interim basis in the 2020-21 season, leading the Seminoles to an NCAA Tournament berth. She was named the ninth women’s basketball head coach at FSU on March 29, 2022, succeeding mentor and coaching legend Sue Semrau.
- Freshman guard Ta’Niya Latson makes her official debut for Florida State on Monday morning. The Miami native dropped 36 points in FSU’s most recent exhibition over Flagler on Thursday, shooting 13-of-18 with seven rebounds and six assists.
- Florida State was picked to finish ninth in the Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Predicted Order of Finish. Latson was one of two freshmen in the conference named to the Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List, joining Clemson’s Ruby Whitehorn.
- Although they were exhibitions, Florida State’s point totals of 119 last game vs. Flagler and 115 vs. West Georgia would be program records.
- Florida State is 1-0 vs. Bethune-Cookman all-time, winning the first meeting, 103-34, in what was also an Education Game on Nov. 18, 2014.
- The Seminoles are 120-32 (.789) vs. non-conference opponents over the last 10 seasons.
- Florida State owns a 46-9 record in its last 55 games played against in-state opponents.
- FSU’s starting lineup of Ta’Niya Latson, Jazmine Massengill, Taylor O’Brien, Makayla Timpson and Erin Howard combined to out-score its two exhibition opponents, 49-16, in 14 minutes, 9 seconds played together.
- The Seminoles open the season with a busy three-game stretch in six days. Following Monday’s season opener, FSU plays at Kent State on Thursday, Nov. 10, and hosts Georgia State on Sunday, Nov. 13.
- FSU has won 27 of its last 28 season openers, and owns a 40-10 all-time mark in season-opening games. Last year, the Seminoles began the year with a 78-50 home win over North Florida, getting 10 points in almost 19 minutes played from Makayla Timpson.
- The Seminoles look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th consecutive season this year. The program has been to the NCAA Tournament 20 times, with head coach Brooke Wyckoff being part of 10 of those appearances as a player (once in 2000-01) and as a staff member (nine).
- As a senior at American Heritage High School, Latson averaged 27.2 points, 7.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 2.0 blocked shots per game.
- Graduate transfer guard Taylor O’Brien is fit to run Associate Head Coach Bill Ferrara’s pace-and-space offense. O’Brien was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection for Bucknell’s Track and Field Team in 2019. She set a program record with a 5-foot, 7 1/4 inch outdoor high jump.
