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A 76-61 loss to NC State within the first spherical of the NCAA Event was the dagger to a disappointing Tennessee ladies’s basketball season. The Girl Vols formally wrapped up their 2025-26 marketing campaign with eight consecutive losses and a 16-14 total report, which is the bottom profitable proportion in program historical past.
Kim Caldwell stated this was the worst yr of her skilled profession and that it occurred as a result of Tennessee did not persist with the unique plan. Caldwell likes a really distinctive type of play that focuses on urgent, is quick, aggressive and incorporates a hockey-style substitution system. She stated the workforce did not absolutely persist with it and that is the way it all went south.
“You may’t play this type of play and put in a plan B, and we put in a plan B,” she stated. “I believe if you try this, you lose your id. You lose your purchase in. You lose your workers a little bit bit and there is fault from the highest, and that is from me. I did that in the course of the season. I do know higher than to do this and it was the worst yr of my skilled profession. Our gamers deserve higher than that from me.”
This was simply the third first-round loss in program historical past. The Girl Vols had been already on their longest shedding streak for the reason that begin of the NCAA ladies’s basketball period in 1981 and had been additionally the primary workforce in a minimum of 20 years to enter the Huge Dance with seven consecutive losses. Their resume was robust sufficient to assist them proceed their streak of dancing yearly for the reason that inception of the ladies’s match, however that is about the one factor they’ll have a good time proper now.
Discovering momentum to win a recreation within the NCAA Event was going to be powerful, notably towards a younger however hungry NC State roster. Issues acquired much more difficult after Janiah Barker was listed as “out” on Friday’s availability report, which meant the workforce was with out their main rebounder and second main scorer.
The primary 5 minutes of the sport had been tough for Tennessee, with 5 turnovers and simply two discipline objectives made, as NC State was 7 of seven from the sector. The workforce began exhibiting some life however by no means acquired a lead apart from its 2-0 begin. Talaysia Cooper was a shiny spot with 24 factors, however as a complete, the Girl Vols shot simply 33% from the sector. They made seven 3-pointers, however they weren’t environment friendly since they’d 36 makes an attempt. In the meantime, the Wolfpack shot 51% from the sector with Zamareya Jones as their main scorer with 30 factors.
Tennessee grew to become some of the profitable packages in ladies’s basketball historical past with eight nationwide championships throughout the Pat Summitt Period. The Girl Vols reached the Candy 16 final season, which was Caldwell’s first yr on the helm of this system. They had been hoping to construct from that with the No. 2 freshman class within the nation, however this season confirmed some modifications could be wanted.
Earlier this month, senior Kaiya Wynn introduced she was leaving this system early, citing senior evening as her breaking level. Extra locker room questions arose when Cooper, the workforce’s star participant, was on the bench for many of the loss to Alabama throughout the SEC Event.
“There was by no means any clear management on my a part of, ‘Hey, that is precisely what we will do, that is why we will do it,'” Caldwell stated when speaking concerning the total season. “We by no means acquired constant rotations. That is the primary time in my (profession) that we have by no means had gamers that constantly we all know who’s going to go in with which group. We simply by no means acquired there.”
The most important query now’s what wants to vary to ensure that the Girl Vols to bounce again subsequent season. For Cooper, a junior who additionally has WNBA Draft eligibility, the reply is evident.
“Effort,” Cooper stated throughout the postgame press convention. “My coach Kim says it loads. That is an effort-based program. For those who do not wish to work arduous, if you happen to do not wish to press, do not take into consideration coming right here as a result of that is what she does and she or he isn’t altering it.”
Whereas this season was a step backward, Caldwell’s job seems to be protected. Earlier this month, Athletic Director Danny White stated he did not anticipate “a fast repair” and is assured Caldwell can flip this right into a profitable program as soon as once more. The coach stated she hopes to take this season as a studying expertise and develop from it.
“I believe that personally there have been only a few occasions that I’ve hit failure and I’ve by no means hit failure to this excessive,” Caldwell stated. “It is a powerful place to do it, publicly, and I did not like who I used to be at sure occasions. I believe that God generally pulls you out of the storm and generally he sits with you thru the storm… you simply pray for peace in your program and for God to be there with you and there is classes on this and he is constructing.”
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