2023 Spain Tour
8/3/2023 8:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Alabama's women's basketball players, coaches and support staff will embark on a 10-day trip to Spain. The Crimson Tide will visit the cities of Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.
"We love our leadership group and we love our new faces. It's been a lot of fun to be able to attend practices because the foreign tour gives you a chance to be ahead heading into September," said head coach Kristy Curry.
The Crimson Tide will spend three days exploring each city and will play a single game against selected international competitors which include Madrid Select Team, Elite Sports Academy and Catalonia Elite.
Follow along for daily updates to see what the team is up to!
Monday, August 14
To start our last day of our 10-day journey, Alabama celebrated student-athlete Aaliyah Nye's birthday! The morning part of today consisted touring the Sagrada Família which is a church that has been under construction since 1882. For the rest of the afternoon the players, coaches and staff went different ways in order to make the most of day 10. Most went shopping, walking around the city and, of course, enjoying delicious meals and tons of gelato! We fly back to the United States tomorrow morning.Â
To cap off our amazing trip, we visited Sagrada Família - a church that has been under construction since 1882! #RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/OScoqaKVTO
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 14, 2023
Players and coahces pose inside Sagrada Família
Alabama staff pose outside Sagrada Família
Sunday, August 13
Final gameday! Alabama players, coaches and staff spent the morning on a catamaran sailing and swimming the Mediterranean Sea before hitting the court later in the evening. The Crimson Tide played its last international game against Catalonia Elite Sports Academy and won! Alabama went three-for-three during the Spain Tour. Tomorrow is the last day of our tour before heading back to the United States on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Below is the post game interview from tonight's game!Â
Each game and atmosphere provided growth within the team, and experiences that will never be forgotten. Check out our final postgame interviews following the conclusion of last night's game! ??#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/MVMz8jYRna
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 14, 2023
Wrap it up and Roll Tide! ????#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/Id2mB4y37X
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 14, 2023
Driving all the way ???? #RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/MvYlZhmpI7
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 13, 2023
Head coach Kristy Curry and assistant coach Tennille Adams surrounded by Alabama's support staff on the catamaran
Saturday, August 12
Today, we traveled to our final city of the tour - Barcelona! On the way, the team stopped at Arenas de Barcelona which is an old bullring in the 1900s that was transformed into a shopping mall during the early 2000s. Alabama took a bike tour around the city where the Crimson Tide visited multiple different monuments including Parque de la Ciutadella - a park created in the mid-19th century - and a glimpse of the 1992 Olympian Village.Â
Biking in Barcelona! ??
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 12, 2023
Thank you Fat Tire Tours for starting our final leg of the tour off right! #RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/KFPMdkKAfS
Friday, August 11
IT'S GAMEDAY! Before the Crimson Tide hit the court, the team visited the City of Arts and Sciences' Aquarium. We are leaving Valencia on a good note after beating the Elite Sports Academy on the last night before traveling to our final city, Barcelona, tomorrow. Below, you can listen to tonight's post game interview with selected student-athletes and Coach Tubner.Â
Hear from @SarahAshlee10, @NaomiJones31 and @ReychelDouglas along with @UACoachTubner talk about their experience of the Spain tour and thoughts about tonight's game. ??????#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/dhjlpYxzvt
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 11, 2023
??????#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/iSYD3eJ34V
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 11, 2023
Alabama and Elite Sports Academy pose for a group photo after game.Â
A fun morning exploring the City of Arts and Sciences! ??#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/MkYoa8pAVB
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 11, 2023
Thursday, August 10
Today we soaked up the sun! Alabama went kayaking and paddle boarding in the Mediterranean Sea followed by spending the afternoon on the beach.Â
Alabama players, coaches and support staff kayakingÂ
Wednesday, August 9
After leaving Madrid this morning, Alabama players, coaches and staff traveled to the second city of the tour - Valencia. The Crimson Tide made the most of its first evening in the new city by touring the Torres de Serranos which is one of 12 gates that formed the wall of the ancient city during the late 14th century.Â
Team poses for photo in front of Torres de Serranos
Walking the streets of ValenciaÂ
Tuesday, August 8
GAMEDAY! The Crimson Tide took the court for the first time during the tour against Madrid Select and won, but nothing compares to this experience of playing international and diving into new cultures with new friends! Before tip-off, Alabama spent the morning touring the stadium of the football club Real Madrid. Below is the post game interview from tonight's game!Â
Hear from Coach Curry and players about the experience of playing overseas basketball after game one of the Spain Tour! Remember to check out the blog for daily updates. ??#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/kKDb6cmYbl
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 9, 2023
Alabama and Madrid Select pose for a group photo after the game. Gifts were exchanged between the teams.Â
Crimson looks good on you, @jes1ballerr! ????#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/cLAyOBouLv
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 8, 2023
That's our number Ø ????#RollTide #GLG @LoyalMcqueen pic.twitter.com/kEWsV4t4jV
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 9, 2023
Burger making a ?????????????????? in crimson and white??#RollTide #GLG @Babyjordan_51 pic.twitter.com/QBgChxoFOM
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 9, 2023
Monday, August 7
For their second day in Madrid, Alabama took part in a cooking class hosted by The Cooking Clubhouse where head chefs - Erick Belli and Alex Villar - guided each of the five groups through cooking different tapas. Once the cooking was finished, everyone indulged in the tapas and finished with a delicious dessert. Later in the evening, the team and staff walked the streets of Madrid, eating and sightseeing. Tomorrow the Crimson Tide will play the first game of the tour against Madrid Select.Â
Players, coaches and support staff pose for a picture in the Plaza de Mayor.Â
Sunday, August 6
In attempts to beat jetlag, the team and staff made the best of their first day in Madrid, Spain by indulging in delicious meals, touring Palacio Real and experiencing the oldest flea market in the city. Now, it's time to catch up on some sleep for day two!
Saturday, August 5
Let the foreign tour begin! In just eight and a half hours, we will be walking the streets of Madrid.Â
Next stop: ?????????? ??????#RollTide #GLG pic.twitter.com/7wdTgauoIG
— Alabama Women's Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) August 5, 2023
