UF Women’s Basketball: Emily Sullivan Joins Gators as Graduate Transfer
Courtesy of UF Athletic Association
Women’s basketball welcomes six-foot-four forward from the University of North Carolina.
University of Florida women’s basketball head coach Cam Newbauer announced Thursday the signing of graduate transfer Emily Sullivan (Evansville, Ind.) to the Gators’ 2020 class.
The six-foot-four forward, who played in over 50 games at North Carolina, will be eligible to play for Florida immediately.
Newbauer on Sullivan
“Emily brings a level of maturity and experience to our roster, and we are excited to welcome her to our team. Having competed for four years in the ACC, she will add to our culture with her personality and drive to take our program to the next level. Emily provides us with more depth in the front court with her size and length. Her ability to score with her back to the basket, her shooting touch on the perimeter and her rebounding skills will all add value to our team.”
A McDonald’s All-America nominee and All-State selection in the state of Indiana in 2016, Sullivan was a consistent contributor for the Tar Heels, appearing in 20 or more games in both her freshman and sophomore campaigns.
As a redshirt junior, Sullivan saw time in eight of the Tar Heels’ first nine contests to open the 2019-20 season but missed the remainder of the year due to injury. As a freshman, Sullivan averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest, appearing in 21 games – the second most amongst front court players on the Tar Heels’ roster that season.
A strong post defender, Sullivan averaged 4.5 blocks over North Carolina’s two games in the 2016-17 ACC Tournament, and as a high school junior and senior, she led the entire state of Indiana in blocked shots.
As a sophomore, Sullivan shot an efficient 51.4 percent from the floor and saw time in 22 games. Sullivan, who notched 10 varsity letters during her prep career also playing volleyball and track and field, recorded a career-high 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Radford in 2017-18.
After sustaining an injury, Sullivan redshirted during the 2018-19 season.
Off the court, Sullivan has achieved tremendous success, having twice been named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll.
The Indiana native will be UF’s second graduate transfer under Newbauer and first since Paulina Hersler joined the Gators via UCLA for the 2017-18 season. Hersler thrived in the Gators’ system, averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Sullivan joins Jordyn Merritt (Plano, Texas) and Brynn Farrell (Ortley Beach, N.J.), who signed during the early signing period in November, and Floor Toonders (Wageningen, Netherlands), who signed in spring session earlier this week. The Gators return six players from last season’s team, including four starters, and welcome four newcomers along with the return of guard Danielle Rainey.
Sullivan on her Commitment
“Florida was the best overall fit for me. I really loved the coaching staff as well as everything Florida has to offer. I think it’s a great fit for me both academically and athletically. I love the tradition of excellence of Florida’s program and really look forward to being part of it!”