The Lady Vols under Kim Caldwell have added a tough home-and-home series to their upcoming schedule.
Beginning with a trip to the West Coast this upcoming season, Tennessee will play UCLA during the next two seasons. This year’s match is set for Nov. 30 in Los Angeles. The following season’s game’s date is yet to be determined.
This year’s matchup has no TV designation or tip-off time determined at this point. However, it will be a homecoming of sorts for Janiah Barker. The Lady Vols forward is entering her first season with Tennessee after transferring in from UCLA. She spent one season with the Bruins while averaging 7.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. She played her first two years at Texas A&M.
This series projects to be between two of the top programs in the country going forward. Tennessee clocks in as the No. 7 team in the country, according to ESPNW’s ‘way-too-early’ rankings. UCLA is slotted all the way up at No. 3.
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In the matchup for this upcoming season, it’ll mark a two-game stretch in California for the Lady Vols. As a part of the ACC/SEC Women’s Basketball Challenge, Tennessee will be traveling to play Stanford on Dec. 3, as well.
The Lady Vols and Bruins have previously met 21 times on the hardwood. Tennessee owns an 18-3 advantage in the series, including a perfect 9-0 mark in Los Angeles. UT is 8-1 at home and 1-2 in neutral-site games.
The most recent two meetings have gone the way of UCLA, though. The Bruins won 89-77 in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament and 80-63 in 2022 during the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Under Caldwell, Tennessee has yet to play UCLA. She’ll bring an experienced squad, including Barker, out west, though, for the first meeting. This includes returning stars Talaysia Cooper, Ruby Whitehorn and Zee Spearman. Transfers include Barker, Jersey Wolfenbarger and Nya Robertson. UT also landed the No. 2-ranked freshman class in the country.
