It’s a hectic week ahead for Tennessee’s women’s basketball team.
They start off with a highly anticipated rivalry match against No. 5 UConn on Thursday, followed by a Sunday rematch against sixth-ranked LSU, who narrowly defeated the Lady Vols by just two points last month.
Securing a win over either of these teams would be a major accomplishment for Kim Caldwell, who is navigating her first season as head coach for the Lady Vols.
The storied rivalry between Tennessee and the Huskies was reignited in 2020 after a 13-year break, with UConn winning all four matchups since, one of which was a significant 17-point win in Knoxville earlier in 2023.
Tennessee is eager to achieve their first noteworthy victory during Caldwell’s tenure, especially considering she recently welcomed her newborn son two weeks ago.
While the Lady Vols have been close to capturing that elusive win, their five total losses this season have come against highly ranked competitors.
In addition to the earlier loss to LSU, Tennessee also fell short against Oklahoma by one point, Texas by four points, and South Carolina by seven points.
However, Tennessee managed to break a three-game losing streak last Sunday with a solid performance against Missouri.
“We definitely needed it,” Caldwell commented post-game.
“I just wish it would have looked a little bit better. Sometimes, it’s about performance, not just production. I’m not certain our performance is where it needs to be right now.”
On the flip side, UConn will also be looking for a much-needed victory on Thursday.
With a season record of 3-2 against Top 25 teams, both of their losses came at the hands of Southern California and Notre Dame.
The Huskies haven’t faced a ranked opponent since their two-point defeat against USC on December 21, and the only remaining game against a Top 25 opponent is scheduled for February 16 against No. 2 South Carolina in Columbia.
Meanwhile, the landscape at the top of women’s college basketball remains dominated by No. 1 UCLA, who boasts an impressive streak of 20 consecutive games won by double digits—the longest run in the Big Ten as well as for the Bruins this century.
Their next challenge is against No. 8 Ohio State on Wednesday.
Additional standout performances emerged this week in SEC action.
Mikayla Blakes, a standout freshman from Vanderbilt, set an SEC record by scoring an astonishing 53 points in a triumph over Florida.
Georgia Amoore, who transferred to Kentucky last year, matched the school’s record by netting 43 points in a victory against Oklahoma this past Sunday.
The NCAA’s latest NET rankings, a key tool for the selection committee evaluating teams for the NCAA Tournament, maintain an unchanged top four: South Carolina is at No. 1, followed by UConn, Texas, and UCLA.
