Emma Clarke’s walk-off home run in the 2026 Women’s College World Series for Tennessee softball to beat Texas Tech in extra innings wasn’t the only drama in Oklahoma City on Saturday. After the game, former Lady Vol turned Red Raider Taylor Pannell made a claim that her former head coach, Karen Weekly, made a bold statement to her in the handshake line.
“We were walking through the line just saying ‘good game’, and she said that I made a mistake instead of saying ‘good game’, which is kind of crazy,” Pannell said. “Like celebrate with your team. I just think it’s funny she’s still thinking about it. It’s old news. Whatever.”
In a report from Cora Hall of Knox News, Weekly adamantly denies that this interaction occurred, though. She told Hall it was ‘an outright lie. I said good game like I said to every other player.’
Weekly also said in her press conference, which was held before Pannell’s claim, that she said ‘good game’ to her.
Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco was asked about his perspective on the interaction, as well. He said it happened behind him, and he does not know what transpired.
“I thought everything was normal,” Glasco said. “I went through the handshake line, nothing. It happened behind me. So I don’t know exactly what happened. But I thought Taylor was good today.”
Former Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell said Karen Weekly told her in the handshake line that she made a mistake.
Weekly just told me Pannell’s account of the interaction is “an outright lie. I said good game like I said to every other player.” https://t.co/qkJw0zL12Z
— Cora Hall (@corahalll) May 30, 2026
More From RTI: WATCH: Karen Weekly, Tennessee Softball React to Walk-Off WCWS Win Over Texas Tech
Pannell finished the game 1-for-4, but was the key run to cross to force extra innings. In the seventh, she led off the frame with a single before avoiding a tag at home to tie the game on a sac-fly.
Pannell spent three seasons with Tennessee, proving to be one of the team’s finest hitters during her final redshirt-sophomore season. In 2025, she posted a .398 batting average with 16 home runs on the WCWS squad.
Then, shortly after the conclusion of the season, she entered the transfer portal and promptly committed to Texas Tech. While Weekly didn’t specify it was about Pannell in the post, she took to her X account to give her thoughts on the state of softball after the announcement.
“I think we can all agree on 2 things:” Weekly wrote. “1) women making money in sports is awesome and long overdue; 2) contacting players (directly or indirectly) before their season ends and signing them to NIL deals before they enter the portal is wrong. Money isn’t the issue – tampering is!”
Tennessee is now on to the WCWS semifinals, while Texas Tech will need to win three straight games to stay alive and advance to the national title game. The earliest rematch the teams could have would be for the title.
