HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...
in
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...
in
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
women's
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
competition. The team has been a contender for national titles for over thirty years, having made every NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship tournament since the NCAA began sanctioning women's sports in the 1981–82 season. The team is frequently referred to as the Lady Vols; the formal "Volunteers" nickname is regularly shortened by many fans of both men's and women's teams to "Vols." The university considers either "Lady Volunteers" or "Lady Vols" acceptable. The Lady Vols have won at least a share of the SEC regular season championship 17 times (with the most recent occurrence being in 2015), won 17 SEC tournament championships (with the most recent occurrence being in 2014), made 18 Final Four appearances (with the most recent occurrence being in 2008), and won 8 national championships (with the most recent being in 2008).


Overview

The Lady Vols were coached by
Pat Summitt Patricia Susan Summitt (; June 14, 1952 – June 28, 2016) was an American women's college basketball head coach who accrued 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coac ...
for over four decades. Under Summitt, the Lady Vols won numerous SEC titles, appeared in 18 NCAA Final Fours and 4 AIAW Final Fours, and won 8 NCAA titles including an undefeated season. Additionally, Tennessee is the only team to have appeared in all 36 NCAA Tournaments, including 34 Sweet 16s (23 of which were consecutive). Summitt's teams were known for participating in a grueling regular season schedule, often toughest in the nation, in order to prepare the team for the NCAA tournament. This tough schedule has caused Tennessee to build up rivalries with many prominent teams, including
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
,
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, and, most notably,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. Like other Tennessee teams, the Lady Vols compete in the SEC, which is historically a competitive conference producing several NCAA Championship teams this century. Within the conference, Tennessee's main rivals are LSU, Vanderbilt,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
and
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...
, with the series vs.
South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...
and Mississippi State gaining importance due to the emergence of those schools as national powers. Summitt led Tennessee to 1098 victories, with an 84.2% win rate. The numbers at home are even stronger, as Tennessee has won 91% of home games and 93.1% of in-conference home games.


Current roster


History


Early years

Lady Vols basketball began at the beginning of the 20th century. However, most "seasons" consisted of three or four games. The sport was dropped in 1926 and was not picked up again until 1960. Coach Joan Cronan went 8–10 over two seasons before being replaced by Margaret Hutson, who coached for four years with a 60–18 record. In 1974, Pat Head was named the new coach. Head had previously played women's basketball for the UT-Martin Pacers (now known as the Skyhawks), and had just graduated.


Late 1970s

In the 1974–1975 season, Pat Head took over a 25–2 Lady Vols team. In her opening season, the Lady Vols won the TCWSF Eastern District Championship for the third straight year. However, the team finished only 4th overall in the TCWSF (they had been 2nd the previous two years), and were not invited to the AIAW women's basketball tournament. After finishing 16–11 her second season, Head directed two 20-win teams, winning back-to-back AIAW Region-II championships. 1978 included the Lady Vols defeating 3-time AIAW champion Delta State by 20, and Tennessee's first number one ranking. 1978 saw the Lady Vols participate in their first AIAW Final Four, where they finished 3rd. Head also recorded her 100th win during this season, a 79–66 victory over NC State. Tennessee finished up the 1970s by winning the first ever SEC tournament, and returning to the Final Four, where they finished runner-up to Old Dominion, 68–53.


1980s

During the 1980–1981 season, the Lady Vols went 25–6, and avenged their championship game loss to Old Dominion by defeating them three times. The team made it to the AIAW Final Four for the third straight year, but wound up as runner-up for the second consecutive year, losing to Louisiana Tech, 79–59. The coach was now known as Pat Summitt, having married Ross Barnes Summitt II in 1980. The 1981–1982 season featured the first ever NCAA Women's basketball tournament. The Lady Vols were one of 32 teams invited and named a 2 seed in their region. In the region championship, the Lady Vols upset first seeded USC 91–90 in overtime to advance to the Final Four. They would lose their Final Four match-up with Louisiana Tech who ended up winning the tournament. The next season, the Lady Vols won the regular season SEC title, but fell in the SEC tournament to Georgia. Tennessee was invited to the now-36 team NCAA tournament and was given their first ever 1 seed. Tennessee made it to the regional championship, but fell to Georgia again, 67–63. Summitt won her 200th game on December 3, a 69–56 victory over St. John's during the Coca-Cola Classic in Detroit. The 1983–1984 season saw Tennessee start out poorly, 6–4. However, Summitt got her team together and finished 22–10, for her 8th straight 20-win season, a streak that is still on-going. Tennessee not only made it to the NCAA Final Four for the second time out of the three tournaments, but also made it to the title game. However, Tennessee lost by 11 to USC, who had also won the title the previous year. Pat Summitt earned Coach of the Year honors. This season was followed up by another 20-win year in which Tennessee earned both the regular season SEC title (despite only going 4–4) and the tournament title. However, the Lady Vols fell in the NCAA tournament to
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...
during the Round of 16. The next season was a similar story—the Lady Vols had a decent regular season, played a great tournament (reaching the Final Four for the second time in three years), but fell before winning the title. In 1986–1987, after years of trying, the Lady Vols finally broke through and defeated perennial power Louisiana Tech for their first title, 67–44. The Lady Techsters had defeated the Lady Vols by 12 earlier in the season. Tennessee's
Tonya Edwards Tonya LaRay Edwards (born March 13, 1968) is an American retired professional basketball player born in Flint, Michigan, currently an assistant coach of the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. She was previously head coach of the Alcorn State Lady Braves ...
earned the honor of Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. During this season, Summitt also earned her 300th win, an 87–66 victory over
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
. The next year, the Lady Vols were poised to repeat, as the third-ranked and top seeded Tennessee made it to the Final Four yet again. However, Louisiana Tech avenged their championship loss with a nine-point win, and went on to win the title. In 1988–1989, the Lady Vols made it to the Final Four for the fourth straight year, and as a one-seed for the second straight year. After dispatching
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...
by 12, Tennessee faced SEC rival Auburn for the title. Auburn had lost by two to Louisiana Tech in the title game the previous year, and had been given its only loss in the SEC Championship. However, that loss was to Tennessee, who managed a 15-point victory over the Tigers. The championship game was similar, and Tennessee took home its second title in three years with a 76–60 victory. Record-wise, this was Tennessee's best season yet, as they won 35 games while dropping only 2, one to Auburn in the regular season and the other a two-point loss to Texas. Additionally, the Lady Vols won every NCAA tournament game by at least twelve points. In the final season of the decade, the Lady Vols started off the season well, winning the SEC title. However, the team fell by one to Auburn in the SEC Championship, and then lost in overtime to
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
in the regional finals, one game shy of making a trip to the Final Four, which was being held in Knoxville. Summitt did accomplish another milestone during this season, however—her 400th win, a 70–69 victory over
South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...
on January 25.


1990s

Despite winning neither the SEC regular season championship nor the tournament championship, Tennessee was given a 1 seed in the 1991 NCAA tournament. After a close win in the regional semifinals against Western Kentucky, Tennessee dispatched Auburn for the second time in three years. In the national semifinals, the Lady Vols beat Stanford, 68–60, to earn the opportunity to avenge the previous year's tournament loss against Virginia. Just as the prior year's game had gone into overtime, so did this one. Down one at the half, the Lady Vols managed to tie the game at 60 by the end of regulation. Tennessee escaped in overtime with a 70–67 win, and their third national title in five years. However, the next year the Lady Vols did not even make it to the regional championship, falling to the same Western Kentucky team they had beaten in the same round the previous tournament, 75–70. The 1992–93 season was better, as Tennessee defeated the defending champions Stanford twice, and swept the SEC season for the first time ever. However, the Lady Vols were unable to win the tournament title, and also fell in the NCAA tournament to
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
, a 72–56 loss in the regional finals. Early in the 1993–1994 season, Summitt grabbed her 500th win, an 80–45 beating of Ohio State on November 21. Tennessee also won both the regular season and tournament conference titles. However, the streak of years without a Final Four appearance extended to three with a 71–68 loss in the regional semifinals to Louisiana Tech. The next season would be Tennessee's return to the Final Four. Tennessee ran the table in the SEC regular season for the third straight year, but also failed to win the tournament title for the third straight year. The top-seed Lady Vols breezed their way to their fifth national championship game, with no game being closer than 21. However, in the National Championship, the Lady Vols fell to the undefeated UConn Huskies, 70–64. During the off-season, Pat Summitt signed high school standout Chamique Holdsclaw. In 1995–1996, with freshman Holdsclaw and senior Michelle M. Marciniak, the Lady Vols won the SEC tournament and made a second straight Final Four. The other three teams: UConn, Stanford, and Georgia, had all defeated the Lady Vols in the regular season. In the semi-finals, facing the UConn Huskies who had knocked them off for the title the previous year, the Lady Vols shot out to an 11-point lead. However, UConn cut it to 4 by the half, and tied later on. With 12 seconds to go, Tennessee led by three, but the Huskies hit a three to send the game into overtime. This was not enough though, as UT prevailed by 5 in overtime. The championship game was not that close as Tennessee won their fourth title easily, an 83–65 win over Georgia. With regard to record, the 1996–1997 season was one of Summitt's worst seasons ever. In addition to losses to powerhouses such as Louisiana Tech (twice), Stanford, Old Dominion, and Connecticut, Tennessee also lost to teams such as
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, against whom they had been previously undefeated. After their tenth loss of the season, in the SEC semi-finals to Auburn, the team pulled together in time for the NCAA tournament. Avenging their loss to undefeated Connecticut, Tennessee continued on their way to the championship game, where they redressed another loss, defeating Old Dominion by 9 for their second straight national title. Summitt also earned her 600th win during the season, a 15-point victory over Marquette on November 23, 1996. In many aspects, the 1997–1998 team was Summitt's best. With the top-ranked recruiting class as well as Holdsclaw, the Lady Vols ran the table to a 39–0 season while playing one of the top-ranked schedules in the country. Only three teams came within 10 points of beating them, and the Lady Vols won a 93–75 victory over Louisiana Tech for their third straight national championship. Chamique Holdsclaw had declared that the 1998–99 team would be the greatest ever. However, this proved not to be the case. Injuries to several players decimated the team, and the Lady Vols ultimately fell to Duke in the regional finals. With this, the Chamique Holdsclaw era ended. A landmark was set during this season however, as "The Meeks"—Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, and Semeka Randall—became the first trio from one team to be named Kodak All-Americans. The Lady Vols ended the decade with their third straight 30-win season, third straight SEC title, and third straight SEC Tournament title. Additionally, the Lady Vols defeated UConn in the regular season, 72–71, in what would ultimately be the Huskies' only loss of the year. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee breezed its way to the title game, winning all 5 games by at least ten points. However, in the championship the Lady Vols fell to the Huskies, by a 71–52 score. During the season, Summitt earned her 700th win, 85–62 at
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. At the 2000
ESPY Awards An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...
, the Lady Vols basketball team was named co-team of the decade, along with the
Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. The Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Col ...
team. Additionally, Pat Summitt was named the Naismith Coach of the Century, and Chamique Holdsclaw earned recognition as player of the century.


2000s

In the 2000–2001 season, the Lady Vols claimed another SEC title, winning all 14 SEC games. Additionally, they split the season series with the UConn Huskies and headed into the SEC tournament with a 28–1 record. However, the Lady Vols were upset by Vanderbilt in the semifinals, and then lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Xavier, their worst finish since 1993–1994. Despite this, Pat Summitt earned her 750th win, in the second game against UConn, a 92–88 victory. Additionally, the team finished with their fourth straight 30-win season. The 2001–2002 season marked the first time since the beginning of the rivalry that Tennessee and Connecticut played each other only once in the regular season. UConn won this match-up by 14. However they would see each other later in the tournament. Tennessee suffered other losses during the season, losing to Texas by a point and getting badly beaten by the Duke Blue Devils. Additionally, despite winning their fifth straight SEC championship, the Lady Vols fell once again in the tournament, this time to LSU. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee was able to reach the Final Four yet again, with a 5-point win over Vanderbilt. This trip to the Final Four marked Summitt's 13th appearance, which broke Coach
John Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood, he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basket ...
's record of 12, as well as her 788th win, which tied her with Jody Conradt for winningest coach in women's basketball history. However, the Lady Vols fell in the national semifinals to Connecticut. This loss ended the season at 29–5, one win shy of extending Summitt's streak of 30-win seasons. Summitt did achieve more milestones during this season. A 106–66 win over USC marked her 200th win at home, a victory against Louisiana Tech was her 300th win against a ranked opponent and her 93–65 win over
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...
was her 1,000th game as a coach, including international contests. During the 2002–2003 season, the Lady Vols compiled their 6th perfect SEC season, and additionally beat powerhouses Duke and Louisiana Tech among others. However, the Lady Vols dropped their second straight to Texas and lost yet another game in the series against UConn. This streak would continue as the Lady Vols made it to the title game only to lose to the Huskies again, 73–68. During the season, Summitt earned her 800th win, 76–57 over DePaul, and was the fastest coach to reach this milestone. The 2003–2004 season was quite similar to the previous year. The Lady Vols defeated most of their opponents, including Duke and Louisiana Tech, but dropped games to UConn and Texas. The Lady Vols again went 14–0 in the regular season against SEC competition and again fell in the tournament. And once again, the Lady Vols won five games in the NCAA tournament only to lose in the championship game to Connecticut. By 2004–2005, Connecticut's Diana Taurasi had finally graduated and Tennessee was able to break their losing streak against Connecticut with a 68–67 victory. As Taurasi left, Tennessee received Candace Parker, a highly regarded and nationally known player. However, due to injuries, she was redshirted and did not play that year. Tennessee suffered losses during the season to Duke, Rutgers, and LSU, while beating teams which included Stanford and Louisiana Tech. LSU's win over Tennessee gave the Tigers the SEC title, breaking Tennessee's streak of 7 straight. However Tennessee was able to break their streak of four years without a tournament title, by avenging their loss with a 67–65 victory over LSU in the SEC Championship. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee defeated the Rutgers team which had beaten them earlier in the year to advance to their fourth Final Four in a row. In the Final Four, the Lady Vols fell to
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...
by a mark of 68–64. Tennessee had led by 16 at one point, but the Spartans made a record-tying come back to advance to the title game. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Lady Vols defeated Purdue. This victory gave Pat Summitt her 880th win, breaking North Carolina coach Dean Smith's record of 879 wins, making her the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history. 2005–2006 was Candace Parker's first year as a college athlete. After being redshirted the previous year she was recovered from her injuries and became a starter. During the season, the Lady Vols dropped three games to SEC foes LSU, Florida, and
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
, their worst SEC season since the 1996–1997 season. The Lady Vols also suffered a bad loss to Duke. However they won their second straight game against Connecticut and rebounded from the poor SEC season to win the tournament for the second year in a row. In the tournament, Tennessee controversially received a two seed instead of the one seed Summitt believed her team deserved, and in the regional finals played North Carolina. Parker tied Ivory Latta for leading scorer with 20 points, but it was not enough. Tennessee trailed from the beginning, falling behind by as many as 16. Late in the second half, the Lady Vols were able to cut the lead down to five, but ultimately fell, 75–63. This loss meant that for the first time in five years Summitt would not be appearing in the Final Four. Early in the 2006–2007 season, Tennessee defeated three ranked teams in a row, Stanford, Arizona State, and
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
. After Tennessee lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels again, by 13, the Lady Vols defeated a strong
Notre Dame Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to: * Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France * University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States ** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...
team and defeated UConn for the third time in a row. In Knoxville, Summitt's team fell to top-ranked Duke, 74–70, in a game which Duke scored the first 19 points, with Tennessee not scoring for nearly the first six minutes. Later, in
Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of countie ...
, the Lady Vols clinched the SEC title against LSU in a game where Candace Parker scored 27. However, in the tournament semifinals, Tennessee fell to the Tigers. In that second game, Parker only scored 4 points. In the NCAA tournament, Summitt's team easily made it to the Final Four, dispatching teams that included SEC foe
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...
and 13-seeded Cinderella, Marist, winning each game by at least 14. In the Final Four, Tennessee again faced North Carolina. Despite shooting just 27%, the team came back from a 12-point deficit with 8:18 remaining to win, 56–50. In the championship game against Rutgers, Tennessee finally won its seventh title. Down by 11 at the half, Rutgers mounted a small comeback, taking the lead down to 7 with 13:33, only to have Shannon Bobbitt hit three three-pointers. Rutgers responded with a 7–0 run, cutting the lead down to 8, but Parker hit 6 free throws to ice the win for Tennessee. The 2007–08 season started off with the top-ranked Lady Vols going 3–0, including wins over 9th-ranked Oklahoma and 22nd-ranked Texas. The win over Texas was Summitt's 950th. After two more wins, #1 Tennessee knocked off fourth-ranked North Carolina, 83–79, in a rematch of a Final Four match-up last year, to advance to 6–0 on the season. Tennessee won their next four games, then headed out to California for a match-up with 5th-ranked Stanford. Down 4 with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Lady Vols managed to tie the game up and send it to overtime, but still lost, 73–69. The Lady Vols responded by winning their next seven games, giving them a 17–1 record going into a match-up with Duke. Candace Parker's 17 points and 12 rebounds, including a bucket with 22 seconds remaining, helped the Lady Vols defeat the Blue Devils for the first time in four years, 67–64. After winning their next three games, all against SEC opponents, the Lady Vols met with a top-5 Rutgers squad who had just defeated top-ranked UConn. Down 5 with under 90 seconds remaining, the Lady Vols hit back-to-back threes pointers to regain the lead, but Rutgers' Carson responded with a jumper to give Rutgers a one-point lead. On the other end, Candace Parker missed a shot with time winding down. Tennessee's Nicky Anosike got the rebound and was fouled, sending her to the free throw line where she made both free throws to give Tennessee a one-point victory. However, the finish proved to be controversial, as replays revealed that the game clock had paused with 0.2 seconds remaining, giving Anosike enough time to be fouled. In the following game, against LSU, Tennessee soared out to a 21–2 lead, but led only 33–30 at halftime. In the second half, the Lady Tigers took a quick lead, and never looked back, winning 78–62. Tennessee won the remainder of its regular season games and finished second in the SEC, giving them a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Lady Vols went on to win the SEC tournament, defeating LSU.(61–55) Tennessee advanced to their 18th Final Four, defeating LSU by only one point to advance to a second consecutive NCAA tournament championship Game. The Lady Vols defeated the 2-seeded Stanford Cardinal 64–48 to take home their 8th National Championship. In 2009 the team had a rebuilding season, due to the departure of the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft Candace Parker. They finished the season at 22–11 and entered the NCAA tournament with the lowest seeding in the program's history at #5. In the opening round of the tournament they played a 26–8 Ball State Cardinals team that was making their NCAA tourney debut. Ball State would go on to win the game 71–55 making history. The Lady Volunteers had never lost in the first two rounds of the tournament, going 42–0 through the years. Tennessee also became the first defending champ to lose its opening game in the women's tourney.


2010s

On April 18, 2012, Head Coach
Pat Summitt Patricia Susan Summitt (; June 14, 1952 – June 28, 2016) was an American women's college basketball head coach who accrued 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coac ...
(née Head, she had married Ross Barnes Summitt II in 1980) announced that she would be stepping down as coach but remain with the team as a head coach emeritus following her 38 years with the team and recent diagnosis of dementia. Assistant Coach Holly Warlick was announced to be moving up to fill the head coaching position for the Lady Vols Basketball team. The Lady Vols earned their 17th SEC tournament championship as they defeated Kentucky 71–70 on March 9, 2014. On March 27, 2019, Warlick was fired. On April 9, Kellie Harper was hired as head coach.


Head coaches

Prior to 1971, records are incomplete. *Katherine Williams, Captain, 1903 (0–2) *Jenny Morrill, Captain, 1904, (0–2) *Leo Thedore Bellmonts, 1905 (0–4) *Essie Polk, captain, 1906 (0–3) *Thomas Snoddy Myers, 1907 (1–1) *Willard C. Burnley, 1908 (1–2) *Andrew Weisenburg, 1909 (1–1–1) *Howard Sandburg, 1910 (0–2) *Mary Douglas Ayres, 1920 (2–3) *Mabel Miller, 1922–1923 (4–2) *Fay Morgan, 1924 (4–3) *Ann Huddle, 1925–1926 (12–4–1) *Nancy Lay, 1960–1968 (No results available) *Joan Cronan, 1969–1970 (8–10) *Margaret Hutson, 1971–1974 (60–18) — 2 TCWSF Eastern District Championships *
Pat Summitt Patricia Susan Summitt (; June 14, 1952 – June 28, 2016) was an American women's college basketball head coach who accrued 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coac ...
, 1974–2012 (1098–208) — 8 NCAA Championships, 16 SEC Regular Season Championships, 16 SEC tournament championships * Holly Warlick, 2012–2019 (172–67) – 2 SEC Regular Season Championships, 1 SEC tournament championship * Kellie Harper, 2019–present (36–16)


Retired jerseys


Player awards


National awards

* USBWA National Freshman of the Year : Shekinna Stricklen – 2009 *
NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships (the "Final Four" tournaments), a media panel selects a Most Outstanding Player (MOP). It is usually awarded to a member of the championship team. There have been ...
:
Tonya Edwards Tonya LaRay Edwards (born March 13, 1968) is an American retired professional basketball player born in Flint, Michigan, currently an assistant coach of the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. She was previously head coach of the Alcorn State Lady Braves ...
– 1987 : Bridgette Gordon – 1989 : Michelle M. Marciniak – 1996 : Chamique Holdsclaw – 1997, 1998 : Candace Parker – 2007, 2008 * Naismith College Player of the Year : Chamique Holdsclaw – 1998, 1999 : Tamika Catchings – 2000 : Candace Parker – 2008 * Wade Trophy :
Daedra Charles Daedra Janel Charles (November 22, 1968 – April 14, 2018) was an American women's basketball player and assistant coach at Tennessee. She was a member of the United States women's national basketball team that claimed the bronze medal at the ...
– 1991 : Candace Parker – 2007 * John R. Wooden Award : Candace Parker – 2007, 2008 * Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year : Chamique Holdsclaw – 1998, 1999 : Tamika Catchings – 2000 : Candace Parker – 2007, 2008 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award : Kara Lawson – 2003


SEC Awards

* Player of the Year Award : Bridgette Gordon – 1989 :
Dena Head Dena Head (born August 16, 1970) is an American retired women's basketball player. She is best remembered as the first player drafted in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). High school years At Salem high school in Canton, Michi ...
– 1992 : Nikki McCray – 1994, 1995 : Chamique Holdsclaw – 1998, 1999 : Candace Parker – 2007 : Shekinna Stricklen – 2011 :
Meighan Simmons Meighan Sharee Simmons (born January 25, 1992) is a professional basketball Guard. She was selected in the third round of the 2014 WNBA draft, 26th overall. Meighan was born in Cibolo, Texas and attended the University of Tennessee. She was nickna ...
– 2013


Prominent players

Following the Lady Vols' 7th championship during the 2006–2007 season, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...
'' compiled a list of the 10 greatest Lady Vols basketball players of all time. In the order they were listed, they are:Emrich, Robert: "The Greatest Lady Vols of All Time", ''Sports Illustrated'', 60–67.


First team

* Chamique Holdsclaw, Forward, 1995–1999 (20.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 51.0 FG%) — Led the Lady Vols to three national titles, while being named the national player of the year twice as well as the Naismith Player of the Century. Holds Lady Vols records for points and rebounds, and is in the top ten for assists, steals, and blocks. *
Dena Head Dena Head (born August 16, 1970) is an American retired women's basketball player. She is best remembered as the first player drafted in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). High school years At Salem high school in Canton, Michi ...
, Guard, 1988–1992 (11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg) — Helped Tennessee to two championships and was named an All-American in 1992. Ranks fourth all-time in assists with 457. * Kara Lawson, Guard, 1999–2003 (13.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 41.4 3FT%) — Second all-time at Tennessee in three-pointers (256), fourth in scoring (1,950), and fifth in assists (456). Led Tennessee to four Final Fours and was an All-American in 2003. * Candace Parker, Center, 2004–2008 (18.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.6 bpg) — 2007 Wade Trophy winner and fastest player to 1,000 points. Three-time All-American and Player of the Year 2006, 2007. Back to back National Championships. * Tamika Catchings, Forward, 1997–2001 (16.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 50.5 FP%) — Only player besides Holdsclaw with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Four-time All-American and Player of the Year in 2000. Holds Lady Vols record for most points as a freshman with 711.


Second team

*Daedra Charles, Center, 1988–1991 (14.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) — Won national title and Wade Trophy in 1991. 2-time All-American. *Holly Warlick, Guard, 1976–1980 (6.4 ppg, 4.8 apg) — 3-time All-American. Second all-time in assists. * Nikki McCray, Forward, 1991–1995 (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) — 2-time All-American who led Tennessee to 4 SEC titles and 122 wins. * Semeka Randall, Guard, 1997–2001 (13.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) — Fifth in points with 1,915 as well as 286 steals. *Bridgette Gordon, Forward, 1985–1989 (18.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg) — Two-time Kodak All-American; Led Tennessee to two titles. 2nd all-time at Tennessee in scoring with 2,460 points.


Season–by–season results


Postseason results


NCAA Division I


AIAW Division I

The Lady Volunteers made five appearances in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 12–6.


See also

*
1987 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament The 1987 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 11, ended on March 29, and featured 40 teams. The Final Four were Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, and Long Beach State, with Tennessee winning its first title with a 67-44 vic ...
* 1989 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 1996 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 1997 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 2007 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 2008 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * List of teams with the most victories in NCAA Division I women's college basketball * Connecticut–Tennessee rivalry


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tennessee Lady Volunteers Basketball