Alabama women’s basketball landed former Baylor guard Waiata Jennings from the transfer portal, Jennings announced in an Instagram post on Monday.
“They say it’s a pretty Sweet Home in Alabama,” she said in the post.
She fills a need at guard after freshman Chloe Spreen entered the transfer portal and committed to Indiana. The Crimson Tide also lost three other guards from the past season to graduation.
Jennings, who is a native of New Zealand, is the first addition to the Crimson Tide from the transfer portal. At Baylor, she appeared in 30 games and averaged 2 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game on 39.3% shooting and shot 34.2% from 3-point range.
“We are excited to have Waiata join our program,” head coach Kristy Curry said. “She has a diverse skill set, including her scoring ability and defensive prowess.
Before coming to Baylor, Jennings spent her first two years at the JUCO level with Collin College. She was the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Player of the Year in both seasons.
Her first season saw her start in all 31 games and average 16.4 points per game, and she was named the JUCO Division I Freshman of the Year for her efforts.
She followed it up with another impressive season, averaging 21.4 points per game and leading her squad in points, rebounds, blocks and steals. She was named an NJCAA first-team All-American.
“The fact that you can add in playing experience playing at multiple collegiate levels will add a veteran presence in our program,” Curry said. “So we expect her to be an immediate and valuable asset for us next year.”
The addition of Jennings puts Alabama’s roster count at 13 for the 2025-26 season. To fill out the roster, Alabama will likely look to two more players from the portal.
