The 2025 Women’s National Basketball Association draft wrapped up on April 14, and it was a night to remember for Alabama women’s basketball. For the first time in program history, three Crimson Tide players were drafted in the same class – a landmark moment that signals a bright future ahead.

Sarah Ashlee Barker led the way, going ninth in the first round to the Los Angeles Sparks. Aaliyah Nye followed as the 13th pick in the second round to the Las Vegas Aces, and Zaay Green rounded out the trio, selected at No. 32 in the third round by the Washington Mystics.

With their names called on draft night, Alabama women’s basketball players are now making waves coast to coast – from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. This milestone adds to an already impressive track record under head coach Kristy Curry, who has now seen five players drafted in just the past three years. Barker, Nye, and Green join Jasmine Walker (2021) and Brittany Davis (2023), both of whom were also selected by the Sparks and Aces, respectively.

This historic draft class isn’t just a win for the players – it’s a statement for the entire program. Alabama women’s basketball is on the rise, and the future looks brighter than ever.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – An Alabama father is urging state lawmakers to implement the legal cannabis program that was signed into law in 2021.

Dustin Chandler’s daughter, Carly, suffers from seizures. In 2014, Dustin advocated for Carly’s Law, which authorized a study that led to the legalization of CBD oil in Alabama.

Now, after more research has been done, he says Carly could benefit from THC.

“If we just look at seizure control, the doctor, my daughter’s doctor and other doctors that deal with neurology and epilepsy, sometimes the CBD is good, and sometimes there has to be a little bit of THC,” Chandler explained.

When Alabama legalized medical marijuana in 2021, Chandler thought the battle was over. Now, 1,435 days later, he’s still fighting.

Patients still do not have access to THC because of ongoing legal disputes over the licensing process. Chandler blames the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which he says failed to inspect cannabis facilities before awarding licenses.

“It boggles the mind that we are going to award a license to a company that has not proven or can show that they’ve at least started construction on facilities,” Chandler said. “What if we have people that have licenses now that can’t truly get the product to the people and do it the right way?” he questioned. “This is not gardening 101 that you took back in college, this is really sophisticated stuff.”

Another gripe he has with the commission is that it has still not created a patient registry as the law requires, identifying patients who are eligible for THC treatment.

“There could be product, meaning medicine, and potential help out there for somebody, but there’s not a registry that is available to make sure that the patient qualifies, that they have a qualifying physician, so that’s really something that is written into the law, it’s engrained into the law that that will take place, and it has not taken place for four long years.”

Chandler has written a letter to all 35 state senators and is urging other advocates to do so as well.

According to WSFA’s sister station WBRC, the commission spent $7.396 million in taxpayer funds from the period of Fiscal Year 2022 to November 2024.

WSFA reached out to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission for comment, but they have not yet responded.

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NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has added a low-level risk for severe weather to its Monday forecast for Alabama.

Areas in north and west Alabama have a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather today. A Level 1 risk means that isolated severe storms will be possible.

Any stronger storm that develops could bring along with it wind gusts up to 60 mph, hail and heavy rain. Tornadoes are not expected, according to the National Weather Service.

Storms will be possible from late this morning into the afternoon hours (roughly 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., according to the weather service).

The weather service expects a line of showers and thunderstorms to move into northwest Alabama this morning ahead of a slow-moving, weakening cold front.

The front is expected to slow and eventually stall out over the state, leading to continued rain chances on Tuesday through Thursday. No severe weather is expected on those days, however.

The weather service noted that some locally heavy rainfall will be possible at times through the week.

North and north-central Alabama will see the higher rain chances during the week, with lower probabilities over south Alabama.

Rain chances will be highest each day during the afternoon hours, according to forecasters.

Lower rain chances are expected over the weekend, however they will not be zero as another weak front moves into the region, the weather service said.