Alabama Women's Basketball Thrives After Losing 3 WNBA Picks

Losing your three best players to the pros would sink most teams, but Alabama women's basketball just keeps winning.

The Crimson Tide sits at 21-7 this season, matching last year's record at the same point despite losing guards Sarah Ashlee Barker, Aaliyah Nye, and Zaay Green to the 2025 WNBA draft. This year's roster has notched three Top 25 wins, including two against Top 15 opponents, proving the program's strength runs deeper than any single player.

Head coach Kristy Curry credits a simple philosophy. "Culture doesn't graduate," she said after the team defeated then-No. 6 Kentucky in January, repeating a mantra she's shared since before the season started.

That culture rests on leadership from players who were already in the program. Senior Karly Weathers, guard Jess Timmons, and forward Essence Cody stepped up to fill the void left by departing stars.

"It's just about embracing each other," Weathers said in October. "Something we can build off of is truly being where our feet are and embracing each moment."

Timmons, who averaged 11.2 points in 2023-24 but missed last season due to medical redshirt, called Weathers "the definition of what you're supposed to be on and off the court." Their leadership has helped new transfers and freshmen, including former No. 1 Alabama high school player Ace Austin, gel quickly.

The team chemistry extends beyond practice. "Everything you can do away from the court impacts 94 feet," Curry explained after a preseason win. "We spend a lot of time building relationships. We're not gonna be transactional—we're gonna be relational here at Alabama."

The Ripple Effect

Those relationships paid off when Alabama started 14-0 for the first time in team history. Despite the undefeated streak, pollsters initially left them unranked due to a weak nonconference schedule.

The win over Kentucky changed everything. Alabama finally cracked the Top 25 and followed up with another statement victory against then-No. 13 Ole Miss on February 7.

Now Timmons, Weathers, and Cody lead scoring for a team that looks nothing like last year's roster but performs just as well. The program has become bigger than any individual player, built on values that persist through roster turnover.

"We can't get caught up in what we did tonight," Curry said after the Kentucky game. "We can get caught up, though, in who we can become."

With the NCAA Tournament approaching, Alabama has already proven that culture really doesn't graduate.