After suffering an injury in the final quarter of the win at Alabama, star Lady Vols basketball guard Janiah Barker was forced to sit out of Tennessee’s win over Kentucky in Knoxville. With Monday’s game against Ole Miss rescheduled due to inclement weather, UT’s next opponent will be Mississippi State on Thursday night.
Ahead of the matchup, Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell met with the media. She shared some encouraging news on the status of Barker for the game.
“She’s back,” Caldwell said. “She’s been practicing. She looks how she looked before she got hurt.”
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On the year, Barker has played in 16 games and started in 11. She is averaging 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game on an average of 23.3 minutes per outing. From the field, she is shooting 47.0% and 31.1% from range.
Barker is considered a potential first-round WNBA draft pick after this season. She is a true senior after playing a pair of seasons at Texas A&M and one at UCLA. She will be out of eligibility following the season.
The availability report for the Lady Vols is slated to be released on Wednesday night. That will be the official indicator of what Barker’s status is for the game, though Caldwell’s comments are certainly a good sign.
Tip-off against Mississippi State is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on SECN+. Tennessee will need Barker to be back not just for that SEC clash, but for the upcoming stretch of games, as well. After MSU, the Lady Vols play at No. 1 UConn, at No. 23 Georgia and at No. 3 South Carolina.
