Florida’s Simone Westbrook Gets Rare 7th Year of Eligibility

The NCAA granted former Florida women's basketball player Simone Westbrook a rare seventh year of eligibility on Thursday.

She's believed to be one of the first in women's basketball to get a seventh year, according to the NCAA.

It's been a long, drawn-out process for Westbrook, who hasn't played since 2016 after tearing a knee ligament in August that year. She was finally healthy enough to play this past season, but the NCAA originally didn't grant her a sixth year of eligibility. Florida appealed in January, and the NCAA reconsidered its decision and allowed her to play.

The Florida graduate discussed with the new Gators coaching staff, which came in before the 2018 season, that she was going to transfer if granted another year of eligibility. By the time the appeal came through in January, it was too late for her to transfer and play immediately.

After the season ended, the Gators put together another appeal to get the 5-foot-8 guard a seventh year and it was finally approved.