Alabama Women's Basketball Begins Season Under New Coach
Pauline Love leads the Crimson Tide into the 2026-27 season with four returning players and sophomore guard Ace Austin as a central figure.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball
Alabama women's basketball opens the 2026-27 season under first-time head coach Pauline Love, following Kristy Curry's departure after 13 seasons to take the job at South Florida. The Crimson Tide return only four players from last year's 24-11 team that lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Why it matters
The roster turnover and coaching change make this a significant transition for the program, with sophomore Ace Austin positioned as the primary offensive engine. Alabama was projected to finish tenth in the 2026-27 SEC preseason poll.
Ace Austin averaged 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a freshman, shooting 37.8% from three-point range, and scored a career-high 21 points against Samford on Nov. 19, 2025. Her production as a sophomore has not yet been measured against a full season.
The players
Pauline Love
Love is Alabama's first-time head coach, having previously served as an assistant on the staff during the 2024-25 season.
Ace Austin
Austin is a five-star recruit and two-time Alabama Miss Basketball winner entering her sophomore season as the team's primary offensive threat.
Kristy Curry
Curry led Alabama for 13 seasons before departing to become head coach at South Florida.
The details
Pauline Love, who served as an assistant with the team during the 2024-25 season, is Alabama's first-time head coach. Austin, a five-star recruit and two-time Alabama Miss Basketball winner from Spring Garden, scored 21 points in both preseason exhibition games against UAH and Mississippi Christian.
Timeline
Nov. 19, 2025: Austin scores a career-high 21 points against Samford.
2024-25 season: Pauline Love serves as an assistant coach for Alabama.
2025-26 season: Alabama finishes 24-11 and loses in the NCAA tournament second round.
2026-27 season: Alabama begins the season with a new head coach and four returning players.
Season Trajectory
The departure of Kristy Curry after 13 seasons ends the longest coaching tenure of the modern Alabama women's program. The Crimson Tide's SEC standing will now depend on whether Pauline Love can maintain competitiveness with a roster featuring only four returning players.
With only four returners, fantasy and bracket watchers should track how Austin's usage changes as the primary scorer. The new coaching staff's rotation decisions will shape which role players see increased minutes early in the season.
The takeaway
The coaching transition and thin roster make early-season results a useful gauge of how quickly Alabama can rebuild its SEC profile. Readers following the program should watch how Pauline Love deploys her returning players.
Further reading
Follow the latest from the Basketball section for more on the Crimson Tide's season ahead.
