BIRMINGHAM — Alabama women’s basketball coach Kristy Curry said she’s “never put much thought” into rankings at SEC Media Day.
On Wednesday, Curry made sure reporters knew her mentality won’t budge as she enters her 11th year in Tuscaloosa, although the Crimson Tide received their highest preseason ranking ever from the Associated Press just a day earlier.
“I think it’s important to understand that to us, it shows the progress of the program, but we want to focus on the finish,” Curry said.
Men living by ‘mudita’: What does the word mean for Alabama basketball and why did it keep coming up at SEC Media Day?
Conversations with coach: Nick Saban told Alabama basketball not to give in to ‘rat poison’ on championship hunt
Alabama ranks No. 24 in the AP Top 25. On Monday, the program was predicted to finish sixth in the SEC by league and national media.
Last year, Alabama made a 24-10 run to the second round. Curry brings back eight from that roster, including the nation’s top returning 3-point shooter in Aaliyah Nye and preseason All-SEC first-team selection Sarah Ashlee Barker, and adds six more between freshmen and transfer portal additions.
“I’m not going to get caught up in this and that,” Curry said.
Curry said she wants her players to get caught up in being the “best version” of themselves. Barker and Nye alike were happy to hear about their early accolades, but both are more eager to put out a product that will see the Crimson Tide climb even higher.
“I think you just give a lot of gratitude and then you also just understand that it doesn’t really matter what they rank you at the beginning of the season,” Barker said.
The honor might be a little more exciting for players who didn’t get their start at Alabama, like Nye.
“I started my career at the University of Illinois, and we were not that good,” Nye said. “Then I came in and me, SA, and all the girls before us, we really put the work in to get this program to where it is, so I’m just excited that it’s kind of being recognized — but obviously we have a lot more to work on.”
Barker said, “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. I think that’s what all of us have for our mindset.”
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
