Gianna Monaco Looking Forward to New Opportunity with Maryland

Gianna Monaco was a consensus preseason All-American in January. It was unsurprising. Monaco had paced Florida with 73 goals and 95 points in 2025, leading the Gators to a second-straight final four berth.

On January 20, Monaco was front and center in a Florida Instagram post celebrating the school’s five preseason All-America selections by USA Lacrosse. One week later — less than two weeks before Florida’s scheduled season opener — she was no longer on the Gators’ roster.

Following a winter break that helped clear her head, Monaco decided to forego her true senior season at Florida and enter the transfer portal.

She wanted something different for her final year of college lacrosse.

“There were a little bit of cultural issues on the team that I did not want to be a part of anymore,” Monaco said. “[It happened] slowly. Then, all of a sudden, I realized I could never play lacrosse again, and I didn’t want [my career] to end this way. I wanted something better, something fun again that I didn’t really have.”

Monaco had played the sport since kindergarten. For the first time in 17 years, lacrosse was not a part of her spring. She stayed in Gainesville to finish her undergraduate degree and saw the Gators win the Big 12 regular-season title and earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

“It was hard seeing everything you grew up with playing, but I was content with my decision to take that semester off [athletically] and get back at it next year,” Monaco said. “It’s hard because it’s the sport you love, but you don’t want to take it for granted, either. You know you want to have the best time.”

Monaco leaned on her family, who stressed they wanted what was best for her. She said former Florida players Madison Waters, who had transferred in to Florida from USC, and Lara Kology, who left Gainesville for Virginia, were her “backbones” during her portal stint. And she didn’t take her foot off the gas in fitness, using the rec gym at Florida, which is open to all students. She also continued to run.

“When you’ve been doing this for so many years, you know what it takes to stay competitive and what it takes to stay in shape,” Monaco said.  

Monaco approached the portal with eyes wide open. She was older than the teenager who committed to Florida out of Lenape (N.J.). She knew what she was looking for, and she knew she found it in Cathy Reese and Maryland.

“The second I talked to the whole staff, especially Cathy, I knew it felt like home,” Monaco said. “They were welcoming, nice and supportive of everything that went on when I told them what happened.”

For her part, Reese didn’t see the gap year as a dealbreaker.

“Everybody’s journey is different,” Reese said. “Her decision was to do what she felt was best for her at the time, and we respected that. That’s her process.”

Because she was in the portal and not playing, Monaco also had the unique opportunity to meet with her prospective teammates during the season.

She stayed with juniors (now rising seniors), including Annabella Schafer, Maisy Clevenger and Lexi Dupcak. She felt embraced. Monaco made a few visits, including to Maryland rival Northwestern, but she felt at home in College Park.

“I knew that, for my last year, I wanted to be associated with this program,” Monaco said. “The culture spoke for itself the second I got there.”

Monaco’s resume also spoke for itself. Reese didn’t recruit her in high school, but she knew about Monaco’s prolific scoring at Florida.

“She’s a good finisher,” Reese said. “She can catch. She can score. She can dodge. When you look at the players we have and who we’re graduating, we felt it would be a good fit for what we need on offense.”

The Terps are returning their leading goal scorer in Lauren LaPointe but are otherwise recalibrating the depth chart. Kristen Shanahan (42G, 34A), Kori Edmondson (49G, 13A), Jordyn Lipkin (25G, 29A) and Keeley Block (41G, 12A) all graduated.  

Monaco will help fill those gaps, and like Maryland’s returners, she already has experience playing in the final four. She watched Maryland advance to the national semifinals from home this year, but it didn’t sway her either way.

“My goal is to have fun with lacrosse again, feel supported by a staff and to bring joy back to the sport,” Monaco said. “I really, deep down, love the sport.”

Despite everything, that has not changed for Monaco, even if her jersey has.

“This has taught me to take nothing for granted,” Monaco said. “You can’t always satisfy everyone in this world, but you have to do what’s best for you — even if it upsets anyone. There were a bunch of rumors about me that were circulating, and I had to brush them off. At the end of the day, what matters is that you are mentally happy, physically all there and able to give it your all again.”