All for Tennessee
Fansided

Ranking all 10 returning Tennessee Lady Vols for 2022-2023

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 21, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper talks to guard Jordan Horston (25) during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper talks to guard Jordan Horston (25) during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 10
Next
Tennessee guard/forward Sara Puckett (1) celebrates during a time out as the Tennessee Lady Vols maintain a lead against Belmont Bruins during the NCAA basketball tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, March 21, 2022.Ladyvols Belmont
Tennessee guard/forward Sara Puckett (1) celebrates during a time out as the Tennessee Lady Vols maintain a lead against Belmont Bruins during the NCAA basketball tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, March 21, 2022.Ladyvols Belmont /

6’2″

The only member of the Tennessee Lady Vols 2021 recruiting class who saw more action than Brooklyn Miles, Sara Puckett is one of those elite sharpshooters who is a perfect fit for Kellie Harper’s system. A four-star out of Alabama, Puckett began living up to her hype down the stretch of the season pretty quickly.

Last year, the graduate of Muscle Shoals High School in Colbert County, Ala., appeared in all 34 games and averaged over 21 minutes a game. She averaged nearly six and a half points and right at three and a half rebounds. Her shooting efficiency was solid for a freshman.

Puckett shot 29.9 percent from three, 69 percent from the free throw line and 43.3 percent from the field. That got better as the year get on. The highlight of the season for her came in the NCAA Round of 32, when down to the Belmont Bruins 66-64 with 20 seconds left, she hit a three that gave them the lead for good.

That definitely showed a clutch gene, which bodes well for UT going forward. Puckett still isn’t likely to be a starter, but she’s the first player on this list expected to at least be in the second-team rotation regardless of what else happens.