Head Coach Jeff Walz Announces Addition of Florida Guard for 2023-24 Season
University of Louisville Cardinals women’s basketball head coach Jeff Walz has announced the signing of graduate transfer guard Nina Rickards. With four years of collegiate experience at Florida, Rickards will be eligible for her final college season in 2023-24.
Walz expressed his excitement about the signing, praising Rickards as an “explosive guard” with Power-5 SEC experience. He highlighted her durability, having played in all but two games over her four-year career at Florida, and her ability to create off the bounce and defend on the perimeter.
Rickards played in 120 games for the Gators, starting in 103 of them, and scored 1,041 career points. She also accumulated 592 career rebounds, 194 assists, and 129 steals.
In her final season at Florida, Rickards played in all 34 games, with 30 starts, and achieved career-best marks with 412 points, 12.1 points per game, 49 steals, and 66 assists. She ranked second on the team in scoring and steals, and third in rebounds and assists.
During her junior season, Rickards played in 32 games, averaging 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. She led the team with 46 offensive rebounds that season.
Rickards’ sophomore season saw her playing in 24 games, starting in 22, and averaging 8.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. She recorded eight double-figure scoring games, four double-digit rebounding games, and two double-doubles.
In her first season with Florida, Rickards played 30 games and made 21 starts, averaging 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. She led the team in three-point shooting percentage during SEC play.
Hailing from Queens, New York, Rickards played at Christ the King Regional High School, where she led the Royals to two consecutive Catholic School state titles and a New York AA Federation Championship. She was also a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee.
