The Independent Florida Alligator

Will Richard kicked off his second season in the NBA by helping the Golden State Warriors to an NBA Summer League Final victory, recording 13 points in the championship game against Memphis on Sunday. Selected by the Memphis Grizzlies and later traded to the Warriors with the No. 56 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Richard was fresh off a national championship run with the Gators. He was a member of Florida’s three-headed monster of a backcourt that included Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin.

While seven Gators were selected during the 2026 MLB Draft, the program avoided season-derailing roster losses. Current standouts returned to Gainesville, and nearly the entire recruiting class remains intact as Florida enters the 2027 season with one of the deepest rosters in the country.

“Oh yeah?”, released Friday, is an album that feels remarkably of the moment. The romance of “Oh yeah?” sits in a gray area closer to a situationship than a relationship, pointing a unique lens into Lacy’s love life. Characterizing the album’s songs as loving might even be a stretch.

At the 2026 World Cup, the United States Men's National Team opened its home World Cup in glory. Having last hosted the tournament in 1994, expectations for this year’s cup were high.And the team didn’t disappoint.

Following a standout first season with the Gators, rising sophomore libero Lily Hayes has made another memorable mark on the court. Representing Team USA in the 2026 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup, Hayes helped the team bring home gold.

Throughout the last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been responsible for the deaths of three civilians across Texas, Maine and Florida.

Seven former Florida standouts are spread across four of the six Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) rosters in 2026, continuing to represent the Gators during the league's second season. Florida's seven active or rostered alumni rank third nationally, trailing only Oklahoma and UCLA. Former Gator Amanda Lorenz is also a member of the Texas Volts organization but is not playing this summer as she and her husband are expecting their first child.

On April 28, a fire severely damaged the multi-story blue-and-red building on Northwest Sixth Street that housed Outreach Thrift for 12 years, prompting a temporary relocation to 927 NW 13th St.

The Newberry Community School Board wished Chuck Clemons, a former board member, farewell at a meeting Monday. They also confirmed Title I plans ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

Vernon Hargreaves, Dedric Dukes, Vernon Maxwell, Mikey Meagher, Andrew Moten, Logan Shore, Bridget Sloan and Kelsey Stewart make up the incoming class that will be introduced to the hall of fame on Oct. 9 ahead of Florida’s home game against South Carolina.