In just a year and a half, Alabama forward Essence Cody has established herself as one of the top forwards in SEC women’s basketball.
The Alabama women’s basketball program is trending upward in the rankings, and Cody’s success early in her collegiate career is a key reason for that. She has been Alabama’s go-to player in the paint.
“When you’re an All-SEC freshman and you average the numbers that she averaged, competing night in and night out against players that were three and four years older, that makes a huge impact,” head coach Kristy Curry said.
As a freshman, Cody averaged 8.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and two blocks a game.
“The great thing about Essence is her maturity with her pace from free throw line to free throw line,” Curry said.
Cody said her family played a significant role in inspiring her to pick up a basketball for the first time.
“My mother introduced me to basketball, and my older sister was playing basketball, too,” Cody said. “I followed in her footsteps.”
Cody’s older sister, Jayla, played college basketball at Central Arkansas from 2020-22 before transferring to Alabama A&M for her final two seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Despite their two-year age gap, the sisters played on the same team at Valdosta High School in Georgia for one season before the older sister graduated.
“Everyday in practice, Jayla would push me to get better. I was better on the offensive side of the ball, and she was better on the defense, so she challenged me on offense,” Cody said.
She added that her older sister provided her with some insight into her experiences at the college level to help her prepare for the next step.
“It’s incredible to see how much Essence has grown in what feels like such a short amount of time, and I truly believe she has the potential to be one of the greats,” Jayla Cody said. “It’s an honor to know she is inspired by my journey, and I’m excited to see all that she’ll accomplish in the future.”
Coming out of high school, Essence Cody was the No. 22 recruit in the country and was rated a 5-star recruit by espnW. She was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American and Ballislife All-American. She signed with Alabama in 2022, and she noted the role the coaching staff and players had in her decision.
“Coach Kristy and the whole coaching staff [were] on the phone when I was signing. I chose to come to Alabama because of the coaching staff, the players that were already here and the environment. They cared about me and wanted to get to know Essence outside of basketball,” Cody said.
Because of her 6-foot-4-inch stature, she was immediately thrust into the starting lineup for the 2023-24 season, and she started every game that year.
She was named SEC Freshman of the Week four times and was named to the 2023-24 SEC All-Freshman team. She stamped her name in postseason history by finishing with a double-double to lead Alabama to an 82-74 victory over Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“There’s very few freshmen that can have the minutes and be in the situation she was a year ago, so she’s kind of learning by being thrown into the fire. It’s been unbelievable to watch her maturity,” Curry said.
Curry said that after Alabama’s tournament run ended in the second round, Cody approached the offseason workouts with an even grittier work ethic.
“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,” Curry said.
Cody’s efficiency on both ends of the floor has continued into her sophomore year. She has swatted one or more shots in 12 games this season and even tied her single-game record by recording five blocks versus Norfolk State.
She has averaged 11.2 points and seven rebounds per game this season and achieved a double-double against Georgia State.
Cody continues to showcase her versatility at the five spot, and she said that her coaches are helping her reach new heights by pushing her to score in various ways.
As Alabama dives into SEC play, Cody said that she keeps the same mentality for every week: to “get 1% better each day.”
