When Savannah Curry first stepped foot in The Liacouras Center in August 2024, she was an extremely accomplished high school star at Westtown High School who had just been a nominee for the McDonald’s All-American game.
Once she got to Temple, she found herself in unfamiliar territory.
Curry played less than five minutes in the first three games of the season and her playing time fluctuated during nonconference games. Her playing time dipped again in conference play and she recorded single-digit minutes during the Owls’ three-game losing streak from Jan. 25 to Feb 1.
Despite limited action, Curry stayed prepared and her playing time began to increase again. She showed what she is capable of against UAB on Feb. 11, scoring seven points and drawing praise from head coach Diane Richardson after the game. Curry has now logged double-digit minutes in five of the last six games and is establishing herself as a vital bench piece with the conference tournament approaching.
“I just have to keep reminding myself at the end of the day, just be ready,” Curry said. “Whenever your name is called, give people a reason to keep you out there.”
The two main calling cards for Curry that have kept her on the floor are also exactly what Richardson is looking for: defense and energy.
Temple has built its culture and play on the court around strong defense and team-wide energy. Curry has fit into that culture like a glove, using her length as a taller guard on defense to generate deflections and steals.
“We love her defense,” Richardson said. “She uses her length really well. And being a big guard she knows how to use her length where she’s getting her hand on balls or steals.”
Curry has also provided energy to a team that thrives off it on the court. Against UAB, Curry made an and-one layup and followed it up with a flex and snarl. Her reaction encapsulated who she is as a player and even got Richardson “fired up.”
Her performance against the Blazers resulted in 15 and 12-minute outings against Tulane and Wichita State in the next two games. Despite some inefficiency shooting during those games, Curry possessed the confidence and intangibles that earned her the minutes in the first place.
“Her will to work hard in practice hasn’t changed from the beginning and I feel like that’s what’s helped her gain those minutes in the games,” said guard Tarriyonna Gary. “The way she works on the court, she does all that just in practice. So she just does a really good job of translating her energy from practice to the game.”
Curry developed a love for basketball from a family that was heavily involved in sports. Her mom played college basketball at Northern Kentucky and her older brother, Garrison, also played basketball before switching to football and he is now a wide receiver at Presbyterian University.
Curry, who now stands at 5-foot, 11-inches, towered above most of her competition by the time she reached fifth grade. Her height made her consider seriously pursuing basketball. She got in touch with Richardson, who was then the head coach at Towson University, once she started high school.
Richardson managed to bring Curry to North Philadelphia and their relationship kept flourishing even after Curry transferred from local Roland Park High School to Westtown.
The prestanding bond with Richardson helped Curry fit in with the family culture that Richardson had built at Temple since taking the job in 2022. Everyone on the staff and team was there to help Curry adjust to her new life at Temple while making sure she stayed ready to play, she said.
“I feel like everybody has played a part in boosting my confidence,” Curry said. “My teammates can continue to tell me to take shots and just keep my head up. And then the coaches won’t get down on you and they give very good constructive criticism.”
The confidence that Curry built throughout the season has allowed her to form a formidable bench unit alongside guard Kaylah Turner and forward Anissa Rivera. While the Owls’ starters have struggled at times, the bench depth has been able to step up as reliable options on the court.
“The good thing is the depth that we have and knowing that we can substitute,” Richardson said. “We got Kaylah, Savannah and [Anissa] coming off the bench who would be starters on any other program. And that gives us depth and it also gives us no drop off.”
Though Curry’s freshman season has been filled with ups and downs, she is carving out a role when it matters most.
With the conference tournament right around the corner, Curry is in a strong position to make an impact off the bench with her energy and strong defense. She has become a crucial part of Temple’s late-season surge and is just scratching the surface of her capabilities as a player.
“She’s so coachable, I don’t see a ceiling right now,” Richardson said. “She’ll be a major contributor because she can shoot the ball. Now it’s primarily more of her defense, but I think next year it will be her offense as well. She’ll be coming behind [Tarriyonna Gary] and [Tiarra East] and I envision her taking one of their places.”
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