During Lady Vols basketball’s 82-77 win over Georgia in overtime, Tennessee had every player available for the trip to Athens. However, guard Kaniya Boyd did not play any minutes and spent the entire game on the bench. Though she was technically available, UT head coach Kim Caldwell explained why she didn’t play after the game.
“Yeah, I think when she had that injury, she was set back a little bit,” Caldwell said. “But she’ll be fine. She’ll be back in it.”
Boyd suffered her injury during the loss at UConn last Sunday. She appeared to tweak her knee, an injury that she also dealt with in high school. However, she would ultimately later return to the game.
On the season, Boyd is averaging 2.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game in 12.1 minutes per game. She is shooting 42.4% shooting from the field and 31.6% on 3-pointers.
However, it’s not her offensive stats that mark her impact. Instead, she’s proven to be an elite defender and a critical piece in Caldwell’s press.
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Without Boyd, the Lady Vols traded blows throughout the game with the Bulldogs. Tennessee held a three-point lead with just seconds to play, but fouled a shooter, who made their trio at the line. In overtime, the Lady Vols jumped out to a quick lead that they didn’t give up, though.
“I think it was good for us,” Caldwell said. “It was good for us to get one under our belt. It was good for us to win. I thought we played with poise and good pace and together down the stretch. And I was a little bit worried about the momentum not being in our favor and us being deflated, and we weren’t.”
Now, Tennessee has another tough game on the horizon. On Sunday, Feb. 8, the Lady Vols will meet South Carolina on the road at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. Boyd will likely be listed as available again, but it remains unclear if she’ll be healthy enough to work her way back into the rotation.
