Florida women's basketball dealing with tragedy and adversity as season begins

NOVEMBER 09, 2011

As the Florida women's basketball team prepares to kick off the 2011 season on Friday against Michigan, the Gators find themselves dealing with the tragic death of a player's mother and the season-ending loss of another freshman to an ACL injury.

Highly-recruited freshman guard Carlie Needles suffered an ACL and MCL injury on Sunday in a non-contact drill. She will eventually undergo surgery and will miss the entire season.

Freshman guard Andrea Vilaró Aragonés returned to her native Barcelona this past Friday after her mother fell gravely ill. Maria Angels Aragonés Barbera died Sunday of cancer.

Florida coach Amanda Butler said the adversity is tough, but has brought the Gators closer as a family. She discusses Needles' injury and Vilaro-Aragonés ' loss here:

Posted by Antonya English at 7:01:01 pm on November 09, 2011 in

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