SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2025

Kristy Curry

Sarah Ashlee Barker

Aaliyah Nye

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Alabama Crimson Tide

Postgame Press Conference

Florida 63, Alabama 61

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Alabama. We'll begin with an opening statement from coach.

KRISTY CURRY: Yeah, I think on a night like tonight, instead of coming in and talking about all the things that we didn't do, you just have to credit your opponent. Thought Florida played great, played with a lot of energy, was more aggressive, and attack mentality than we were. I think you just have to credit your opponent on a night like tonight.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Sarah, Florida has had a really good defensive performance through two games. You had a pretty impressive performance. What was your mindset taking on a hyper aggressive Florida defensive front?

SARAH ASHLEE BARKER: Yeah, I'm going to be honest, it doesn't really matter what I did. We lost. That's all I'm going to say about that 'cause it doesn't really matter honestly. My points don't matter.

Q. What looked different tonight from Florida versus the first time you played against them?

AALIYAH NYE: I think they were the tougher team. I don't think we played the way we normally play. We were turning the ball over, missing shots, weren't being tough. Weren't rebounding. Yeah, they were just the tougher team tonight.

SARAH ASHLEE BARKER: Piggybacking off of her, the first two times we played them, we know they always play hard. Their coach always gets them to play hard. She's a great coach. They just outplayed us tonight, out hustled us on the boards. In every category they out-did us. That's where we have to go back to watching film and hoping we can clean up some of those things and move on and go to the NCAA tournament.

Q. How do you move on from this and use it to keep on building and growing?

AALIYAH NYE: Just go back and watch film, see what we did wrong, continue to work on ourselves.

SARAH ASHLEE BARKER: It's understanding that who we are. Tonight doesn't define our team. We're a great basketball team, but tonight we didn't show that, didn't prove that, which sucks. We have done some great things this season. That's what we have to look back on, get back to, get back to what Alabama basketball is. Tonight we didn't play Alabama basketball.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies, thank you. We'll continue with questions for Coach Curry.

Q. What looked different from Florida tonight versus the first time you played them?

KRISTY CURRY: I thought we were a lot different for whatever reason. I just credit their defensive game plan. I thought they did a really good job of being physical without the foul. We were wanting to turn the corner. I thought we settled for a lot of quick shots. When we shoot the ball, we're usually a little bit better.

But I think the difference is, when I say that, we always want to make more free throws than our opponent shoots. Florida made 15. We only shot 15. So I think that shows our ability to settle and not settle and be aggressive, play off two feet. The ball has to touch multiple hands.

Q. Sarah expressed her frustration. How did you feel about her performance?

KRISTY CURRY: Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to understand all the little things that she tries to do. I thought that she was able to make some plays for us down the stretch.

Q. Going forward, how are you looking to build on this?

KRISTY CURRY: Yeah, I talked in there about understanding what put us in this position, and the inability to keep the ball in front, the ability to know our personnel at the level that we should having played someone three times. Continued to let them go strong hand.

When you look at paint points, a differential with them having 36. 14 points off turnovers. I could go on and on, every statistical category. The things we didn't do well at Florida, tonight it was reversed. We have to go back. Sometimes it's important to understand this time of year that you focus on now, you turn it into a positive with your response.

Always say when you have adversity, it reveals character. When you have a game like tonight, it also reveals what your response is as a player. You have two opportunities to grow. One, as a person when things get tough, what's your response. Then as a player, are you willing to correct and have self awareness to understand the things we need to do to improve?

Q. Liv McGill 29 points. What did you see from her?

KRISTY CURRY: Yeah, I mean, she just continued to catch it at ease in perfect spacing. I think you heard them talk a little bit about effort, which at the end of the day you can't coach that. That's going to have to be something they answer.

If we consistently let someone catch it here in March in perfect spacing, then our communication on the ball screen, all the little things that we were trying to do, it was multiple people. But credit Liv. She was the aggressor. She attacked us. She finished around the rim. You can tell she works a lot on her finishes. She countered what we took away. Found other people. She put pressure on the rim. When you put pressure on the rim, good things happen.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.