No. 1 Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball secured its fifth consecutive national championship last Saturday, downing No. 2 University of Texas-Arlington 67-52. This was the third consecutive year the teams have faced off for the national title.
The tournament was held at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. This was the 47th Annual National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament and was held March 26-29.
Other women’s teams invited to compete were No. 3 University of Illinois, No. 4 University of Arizona, No. 5 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and No. 6 City University of New York.
In the tournament’s semifinals, the Crimson Tide defeated Arizona 58-26 to advance to the championship game.
In the title bout, Alabama controlled the tempo for most of the contest, but a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter from UTA gave the Mavericks a 1-point lead at 49-48. This was the team’s first lead of the game, and there were five minutes left.
Alabama answered by ending the game on an 18-4 run, winning and taking home the hardware once again.
Graduate student Bailey Moody was named MVP of the tournament. She previously represented Team USA in the 2024 Paralympics and has been involved in all five of the team’s national title runs since arriving on campus.
“There are so many opportunities to play in college and at the international level that I probably wouldn’t have had if I were trying to play stand-up,” she said.
Head coach Ryan Hynes has been involved in the sport and the Alabama program for over a decade. He was a member of the first men’s championship team in 2013. The recent win was his seventh across his time as a player and coach.
“I just want us to be viewed as college athletes,” Hynes said. “If you come and watch us, you’ll realize that we work really hard and put a great product on the court.”
