The Alabama women's team is quietly having quite the start to the season, moving to 9-0 on the season after blowing out Clemson for a second straight season in the ACC/SEC Challenge. This is a team that many had questions about after losing three players to the WNBA Draft, including all-time great Sarah Ashlee Barker.
So far, the questions coming into the season have been answered, but with how the out-of-conference schedule is set, we will not fully learn about this team until the always tough SEC schedule starts. Alabama has only played two power conference opponents, but to be fair, you can only beat who is on the schedule.
Essence Cody had a big game Thursday night, dropping 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the field. Cody is seen as the star of this year's team and so far, has answered that challenge, scoring in double digits in eight of nine games, including her second 20+ point performance of the season. Senior Jessica Timmons added 19 points, which is her seventh game scoring in double figures.
The Lady Tide has five more non-conference games on the schedule, and based on how they have played to this point, there is a good chance they will enter SEC play 14-0 on the season.
Expectations around this program have grown over the last couple of seasons, and the goal for this year's team is to see the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 1998. Coach Kristy Curry has changed the culture in Tuscaloosa, and they seem poised to make some noise in an SEC that is again full of great teams. Conference play starts with a bang against South Carolina in Columbia on New Year's. Last season, Alabama got a program-defining win over LSU, and a couple of more of these types of wins could really put the nation on notice that the Alabama Women's basketball program cannot be ignored.