Alabama women’s basketball has had an impressive season so far. With a record of 20-5, the Crimson Tide is currently ranked 23rd in the AP and coach’s polls, and it also made its first preseason AP Poll appearance since 1998.
Fifth-year forward Christabel Ezumah, known to her team as CB, is one of the athletes who helped make this historic season possible for the Crimson Tide.
Ezumah was a four-year starter at Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, Georgia, before beginning her collegiate career. She and her teammates won the 6A state championship in 2019, and she was also selected as a two-time All-State honoree during her tenure at the school.
After graduation, she spent four years playing for Campbell University, where she shined with the Fighting Camels. She started all 31 games during the 2023-24 season and was selected to the 2023-24 All-CAA defensive team. While at Campbell, she had the second-best field goal percentage in school history, shooting 58.7% for her career.
Ezumah announced her transfer to The University of Alabama in May 2024.
“It just felt like home. Everybody here had the same goal to win,” she said. “It was a loving environment, and I also noticed that everybody pushes each other to be their best every single day, and that’s something that I wanted to step in and just grow my game together as a basketball player and a person.”
She wants fans to know, “I am grateful to be here. I’m fun, energetic, and I bring a lot of energy every single time I’m on that court.”
Ezumah has continued to persevere even in the midst of intense SEC competition shooting 50% so far this season.
Women’s sports, especially collegiate basketball, have gained significantly more traction in the media over the past year due to breakout athletes like Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese. This increase in attention for women’s basketball has become evident for players like Ezumah.
“More people are tuning in to watch women’s sports,” she said in an interview with The Crimson White. “Now I have my friends telling me ‘Hey, I want to come to your game,’ and my cousins and aunts are tuning in, so I feel like it’s really changing.”
In the past, women’s basketball has been viewed as less compelling than men’s. “Women’s basketball is worth it,” Ezumah said in response to this idea. “I wish more people would see how hard we work. Women’s sports are fun. It’s cool to watch.”
She also encouraged fans to provide their support “every single time we have a game.”
Ezumah and the Crimson Tide will be back in action in Coleman Coliseum on Monday for another SEC matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies at 7 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed on SEC Network.
