Alabama Women's Basketball's Path to the NCAA Tournament

The Crimson Tide women's team is closing in on making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999

Since making the NCAA Tournament eight straight seasons from 1992-99, including a Final Four run in 1994, Alabama women's basketball has been absent from the sport's highest postseason field.

That streak has a chance to end next month as Kristy Curry has the Crimson Tide in good position to play in the tournament for the first time in two decades

With three games left on the regular season schedule, Alabama stands at 14-6 overall and 7-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Considering how tough the league is this season, another over .500 would greatly help its chances.  

"We're not done yet," Curry said. "I don't think there's anybody in that locker room last night that was satisfied with where we're at and want to finish strong."

Five of its six losses have come to teams ranked No. 21 or higher in the NET in No. 3 (South Carolina, twice), No. 16 (Georgia), No. 17 (Tennessee) and No. 21 (Kentucky).

The NET or NCAA Evaluation Tool is one of the main components of criteria the selection committee uses to determine the field of 64. Alabama is currently 33rd in the NET which would be high enough to earn an at-large bid. 

As of Feb. 16 (before Alabama's road win over Florida), ESPN women's bracketologist Charlie Creme had the Crimson Tide as a seven-seed in his bracket projections. 

Alabama started the season 7-0 in non-conference play including wins over Houston and on the road against Oklahoma State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The Crimson Tide then began conference play 4-1 before hitting a tough part of the schedule and dropped five of six games. However, the team is now back on a two-game winning streak after road wins against Auburn and Florida. 

Because of Alabama's NET ranking and position within the SEC, Alabama may only need to win one of its final three games to feel securely in the NCAA Tournament field. 

Those three games are at home against Mississippi State (8-6, 3-5 SEC), at No. 5 Texas A&M (19-1, 10-1 SEC), and at No. 18 Arkansas (15-7, 5-6 SEC.) 

Alabama already beat Mississippi State 86-78 in Starkville back in January. It it can complete the sweep the Crimson Tide will finish at least .500 in conference play. 

Texas A&M is one of the hottest teams in the nation and has not lost in over a month. While Arkansas is below Alabama in the SEC standings, the Razorbacks are ranked because of non-conference wins over No. 1 UConn and No. 7 Baylor.

Even if Alabama loses all three regular season games, there's still the SEC Tournament starting on March 3 in Greenville, S.C., where Alabama will have the chance to continue to bolster its résumé.

Curry is in her eighth season at Alabama and has previously taken the Crimson Tide to the WNIT three times, but never to the NCAA Tournament. 

Last season, Alabama was on the bubble and had a good shot to make the tournament field when season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alabama has been led all season by the senior trio of Jasmine Walker, Jordan Lewis and Ariyah Copeland. 

Walker is second in the SEC in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game. Lewis is averaging over 16 points and is fourth in the league in assists. Copeland leads the conference in field-goal percentage, making 60 percent of her shots from the floor.

These three seniors have cemented their names throughout the Alabama record books, but now have the chance to leave an even bigger mark on program history by leading the team to the NCAA tournament. 

"The thing about these three that are so, so, so special is just when they came, they understood the task at hand," Curry said. "And to possibly see them be able to get this program to a place it hadn't been to in a long time speaks volumes of what they embraced from day one."