With the first game of the women’s basketball season less than one month away, Alabama head coach Kristy Curry and student-athletes Brittany Davis and Jada Rice appeared at SEC Tipoff on Tuesday. 

The Crimson Tide will play Alabama A&M on Nov. 7 to begin Curry’s 10th season at the helm in Tuscaloosa.  

Both Curry and her players said that they expect the team to be able to do something special this season and that despite adding a lot of new faces, the group has gelled well and will be ready when the season starts. 

In 2021, Alabama punctuated its season with two wins in the SEC tournament and made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Womens National Invitation Tournament.  

In 2022, in addition to returning a large portion of the scoring, several new players will join the roster. Despite the change of scenery for those players, the expectation for their performances is high.  

“Nine of our 13 started in Division 1 basketball last year,” Curry said. “It is an experienced roster, but it’s a roster that is going to have to take some time to blend together, mesh together, learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” 

After tasting the NCAA tournament in 2021, the Crimson Tide hopes to get back there this season. 

“I think a challenging schedule, if handled correctly, can really impact March for us in a positive way — and that’s our goal. March,” Curry said. 

She added that the returning core made a commitment to come back in hopes to expand on the success they experienced last season, which featured 20 wins.  

“The expectations are high, and I don’t think anyone can expect more than we do of ourselves,” she said.  

“My main focus is the team goals and what we can accomplish as a team, and just playing together, playing hard every day,” Davis said. “I give my 110% every single day.” 

“They’re good teammates,” Davis said of the new members of the Crimson Tide. “They’re good, and they can play — it’ll make our team so much better.” 

Davis, one of the prolific scorers in the SEC, is a key returner to this season’s team. She said she came back because of what she can accomplish with this team and because she’s thinking about her daughter’s future. 

“She’s my motivation every day,” Davis said. 

Davis said trying to get to “the league” is her number one goal, but that she has other goals if that doesn’t come to fruition. 

“Whatever God has in store for me will be there,” Davis said. “If it’s for me, it’s for me, if it’s not, it’s not.” 

Rice, a former transfer herself, said the new players are fitting in well with the team.  

“We as a team, and staff as well, [have] really emphasized culture — we’re friends, not just teammates,” Rice said. 

Rice said she wants to be more confident on the floor and go overseas following this season — citing that as her biggest area of growth this season. 

Curry, Davis and Rice all agreed that the roster this season is talented and that they have high expectations for themselves. Playing meaningful basketball in March is the team’s goal. 

Tipoff for the season opener is set for 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 7. 

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]