Alabama women’s basketball tipped off the 2024-25 season on Monday with a 62-point victory over the University of New Orleans. The Crimson White’s Matthew Mason sat down with head coach Kristy Curry before the season began.
Mason: After reaching the NCAA Tournament three out of the last four years, what is your team’s mindset going into this season?
Curry: The ultimate goal is to continue to make the NCAA Tournament. We had a top-four finish in the SEC. Let’s improve our finish in the SEC and then keep advancing. We were able to beat Florida State in the first round and had a great game with Texas, but we want to continue to advance and take steps forward. We don’t talk much about the past. We talk about the future and how we can be better each day.
Mason: You brought in Zaay Green in the offseason. She previously played at Tennessee and Texas A&M before spending time at Arkansas Pine-Bluff. How valuable is it to bring in somebody with SEC experience?
Curry: I think it’s extremely valuable. We are a league of veterans, and it’s a league that she obviously has an understanding of. Her path and journey has been a little different, but we are absolutely excited because she brings veteran experience. She brings veteran leadership and an edge.
She, alongside Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye, is listed on preseason draft boards. She’s just a competitor. She has a great will about her right now to finish her career in a really special way, and I’m glad she chose Alabama.
Mason: I want to ask you about freshman Chloe Spreen. She was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and was Miss Indiana 2024. What impact do you think she could have as a freshman?
Curry: When you come from the type of high school and summer programs that she’d been a part of, you really understand and have a step ahead with your knowledge of the game. Number one, she’s had a great high school coach. Number two, she’s had great summer coaching.
She’s one of those basketball junkies. She’s a fearless competitor, gritty and hard-nosed. Chloe loves the defensive end as much as she loves the offensive end. She has a really bright future, and I’m excited for what her future holds. She’s a lot of fun to coach.
Mason: What are some of the qualities that this year’s team has that make them unique from previous teams?
Curry: This team is very driven — not that the other teams weren’t. They’re just extremely driven. They’re extremely motivated and very gritty. They really care about the program, and it’s not that we haven’t before. Our culture continues to elevate. They truly believe in the culture and what we’re trying to accomplish. I think their expectations are really high of what they have of themselves. It’s my job to coach that, nurture that, help that grow everyday and just try to play my part in helping them excel at a high level.
Our goal is to win an SEC championship and compete for a Final Four as well as continuing to advance the program forward. I think if you expect anything less than that, you’re going to get less. We’re all very driven and like-minded people. We feel like we can be the hardest worker in the room, and that we do everyday.
Mason: Fans know all about how good Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye are. Beside those two, what are some other names that fans should keep an eye on throughout the season?
Curry: Well, I think that sometimes when coaches mention that, they leave somebody out, and they don’t mean to. I do think that one player that doesn’t get mentioned enough is Essence Cody. When you’re an All-SEC freshman and you average the numbers that she averaged, competing night in and night out against players that are three and four years older, she makes a huge impact. She has much improved her game. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to accomplish this season. I mean, she’s really been amazing in her offseason work. She’s put in work in the weight room and conditioning, and I think you’re going to see a special player. When you mention that among Zaay, Sarah Ashlee and Aalyiah, that’s pretty special. We are excited about the year that Essence can have.
There’s several more players that have really improved like JeAnna Cunningham. You know, I’m excited about Christabel Ezumah. Another player that has been amazing is Eris Lester. She may be the most athletic on the team, and she’s extremely talented. Karly Weathers is much improved, and we signed Diana Collins from Ohio State in the offseason.
You can tell I’m excited about this group and certainly don’t mean to leave anyone else out. It may sound kind of like coach speak, but I feel like everyone contributes.
