A Disappointing End Sparks Several Questions for Alabama Women's Basketball
Last year, the storyline was how Alabama men's basketball lost its last four games en route to a disappointing end to the season.
This year, the women's program suffered a similar ending, losing its last five games and being defeated dramatically in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Overall, Kristy Curry's squad finished with a 20-11 record with a 9-7 record in SEC play. The Tide did have a 10-game winning streak, with the exclamation point being a 3-point win against Georgia in the conference opener.
The rest of SEC play, however, was rocky, to say the least. Alabama dropped its next two games, a double-digit loss to Tennessee and a 1-point loss at home to Missouri. The Tide did have a pretty successful stretch to follow, going 8-2 in its next 10 games. The losses came at the hands of Angel Reese and LSU (not to mention the worst shooting performance of the year) and South Carolina. Oddly enough, Alabama looked better against the undefeated Gamecocks than against the Tigers.
Unfortunately, this is where the season took a turn for the worst. Alabama was in a prime position for a double bye in the SEC Tournament and a better seed in the NCAA Tournament (Alabama was an 8-seed at the time). There were three games left in the regular season, and each had its own story:
- Alabama was thoroughly outplayed by Mississippi State in the first three quarters. The Tide put together a late run, but it wasn't enough as the Bulldogs won 60-45
- The story was similar for Florida as the Gators looked strong in the first half. Alabama returned the favor in the second half, but too many turnovers did the team in for an 81-77 loss
- With two consecutive losses, Alabama still had a chance to secure a double bye with a win against Ole Miss in the finale, which was also senior night. It was overall a great game, but the Rebels avenged the first loss and won 57-55.
That made three consecutive losses to end the regular season, and the Tide dropped to the 6-seed for the conference tournament. Still, the odds were favorable as Alabama would face a Kentucky team it defeated without much doubt in the regular season.
Alabama even held the leading scorer, Robyn Benton, to zero points, but the Tide did not have an answer for Jada Walker, who scored a career-high 24 points with only 2 3-pointers. Add in the 19 points from Maddie Scherr, and Kentucky bounced Alabama from the conference tournament and handed the Tide its fourth straight loss.
Now Alabama goes into the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed, going against 7-seed Baylor who had several All-Big 12 players on the roster. The matchup wasn't ideal, but Alabama dominates Baylor to start the game, ending the first quarter with a 22-4 lead.
But the great start was followed by an even greater collapse as Baylor went on to outscore Alabama in each of the next three quarters. Alabama still had a chance down the stretch, but a couple of badly timed fouls and late turnovers led to a harsh exit from the tournament and an unceremonious end to a season with four consecutive losses.
It's hard to imagine a rougher end to a season than that, It was a successful season in some ways, but this offseason raises a lot of questions about how the program will move forward.
Exiting Core
Megan Abrams, Hannah Barber and Jada Rice have all played their last games for Alabama. Whether or not they pursue a pro career remains to be seen, but Curry is losing her starting point guard, center and top reserve.
Then there is Brittany Davis. The team's leading scorer officially called it a career at Alabama via Instagram.
It was a career no one will forget anytime soon, both for her play and for being a mother on top of that. But the fact remains is she was, at times, the only player that could get a bucket for the Crimson Tide, so the challenge now will be to find out which player - or players - can replace her scoring from the perimeter.
It's also worth mentioning that Ryan Cobbins has a COVID year she could use for another year of eligibility, but with the incoming freshman class, playing time might be scarce.
Key Returners
Sarah Ashley Barker found her scoring touch in the latter half of the season, and Loyal McQueen could take a big step next season as a senior. It wouldn't be a surprise if those two lead the charge as seniors.
Aaliyah Nye had a taste of the postseason and shot the light out from beyond the arc. Though she could benefit from learning to attack off the dribble.
Karly Weather had some flashes during her first season but struggled more often than not. That said, the experience should be very beneficial and she might be ready for a larger role next season.
Then there is JeAnna Cunningham. who didn't play that much, and Khyla Wade-Warren, who was ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Either of them should have been Rice's backup, but Curry ultimately went with Cobbins as the second center. With Rice gone and Cobbins yet to announce her decision, the starting center position is up for grabs. Could it be one of them, or could it be an incoming freshman?
Highly-touted recruiting class
Alabama is bringing in the No. 12 class in the nation, highlighted by 5-star recruit Essence Cody. The Tide struggled to get consistent scoring from the frontcourt, and Cody immediately addresses that. It remains to be seen whether or not she can anchor a defense as Rice did, but Cody can shoot better than any big on the roster.
It's not just Cody that's coming in, however. Reychel Douglas is a 4-star guard who can attack from the perimeter. She's also a willing passer and a great finisher inside. With Davis and Barber not coming back, it wouldn't be a surprise if Douglas fills one of the starting guard spots.
Last but not least, there is Naomi Jones, another forward that will make an immediate impact in Alabama's thin frontcourt. She might be more of a true inside player, which would complement Cody well.
Honestly, next season's starting lineup may include all three freshmen.
Coach Curry's future
This is the biggest topic that needs to be decided for the program. The Kristy Curry dilemma can be put into two ideals:
- In 10 years, Curry has taken a program that was atrocious and built it to a respectable level, albeit slower than some would like.
- In 10 years, Curry has done some good things, but the need for true progress and results is long overdue, and last season's ending might be enough to pull the plug.
There is a case for either point, but it appears that Curry may be on the hot seat, and unless the program produces some hardware and/or banners, she may not be here much longer.
Some even argue that the plug should already be pulled, but the consequence of that is that the incoming signees may ask for releases from their NLIs and the current players may transfer. That would erode any positive progress from the past 10 years and put the program back at square one.
JaMya Mingo-Young has already entered the transfer portal, and the coach being fired could spark an exodus.
Again, it all depends on which perspective you choose of Curry, but the perspective of the decision-makers could have long-term effects on Alabama women's basketball.
See also: Tony Mitchell Suspended from Alabama Football Following Arrest
Running Back Damien Harris Signs with the Buffalo Bills
Everything Nick Saban Said Following Alabama's First Practice of 2023
