Lady Vols basketball took to the road for a ranked battle with Alabama and left with a 70-59 win. This moves Tennessee to a perfect 5-0 mark to start its SEC slate.
After the game, UT head coach Kim Caldwell met with the media to give her thoughts on the game. She was asked about the status of Janiah Barker, how the team responded to an early deficit, the play of specific players and more.
Here’s what she said.
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Opening statement
“I want to thank Alabama and all of the SEC schools that participated in the We Back Pat week. I think it’s so important that we can continue to raise awareness for the fight against Alzheimer’s and bring awareness to that cause because it affects so many people. And so, we appreciate the week. We were happy to get two wins during it. And we didn’t play great today, but again, to win on the road here, it’s a tough place, they had a great crowd, happy with how this week went out.”
On if she has an update on Janiah Barker
“I don’t.”
On Alyssa Latham’s off-ball movement, impact on the game
“I liked that she was cutting for the ball. I liked that she was calling for the ball. I think she was great on the defensive end for us. A play that stands out is just her extra effort. She had two extra efforts on the other end. I don’t think that she was out on the defensive rebound. And then, she had the game-winning play of tipping the ball back in to Deniya on the offensive rebound. So I mean, yeah, her scoring was great, but I appreciate the effort, and I appreciate the offensive rebound opportunity and her just going. It wasn’t her. She didn’t benefit for it, but she helped our team win.”
On if she knows what the injury to Janiah Barker was
“I have no idea. You guys probably no more than me. I went back to the huddle, continued coaching, and didn’t even know what the call was. And so, as soon as I get back into the locker room, we’ll check.”
On how important Mia Pauldo was at point guard
“Yeah, I think that was big. I think she did a really good job down the stretch. And it’s hard when you’re out of the game for most of the game without trouble, and then to come back in and have that confidence, I love it. I love it when you have a point guard that you don’t really have to worry about what’s gonna happen when the ball’s in their hand. You can just kind of put them out there.”
On what she liked from Talaysia Cooper
“Yeah, it was big. I think she was frustrated all game. And so, for her to hit that shot down the stretch was big.”
On the response to a bad start to the first quarter
“It really just looked like we settled in, started hitting shots. That’s what I’m most proud of is a month and a half ago, we would have quit at the beginning of the game. And we would have melted, and we wouldn’t have been fighting. And we didn’t blink. We still had tight huddles, we still had great body language. And that was so much maturity for this team. I’m really proud of that. But we just settled in, hit shots, and then the rest went our way.”
On what the team has learned since the NC State game to open the year
“I think we’re more resilient, I think we know our roles better, I think our shot selection is better. But I think the biggest thing is what Alyssa said, is we’re playing as a team. We have a sense of urgency, and we’re not letting a few mistakes become a game’s worth.”
