The dream start to the campaign is officially over for the Tennessee Lady Vols. After Kim Caldwell opened things up at 13-0 in her first season leading the program over in Knoxville, Tennessee has now suffered back-to-back losses.
Earlier in the week, Tennessee suffered its first loss of the season to Oklahoma. The Vols were hoping to get back on track on Thursday night, this time against Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers. Once again, though, Tennessee fell short, with the Tigers recording an 89-87 win.
After the loss, Caldwell understandably was a bit frustrated with the performance. However, she took issue with some media members claiming this team is in a rebuild and that the seniors 'aren't her players' that she recruited.
Well, Caldwell wants the best for every single person on the roster. So, tough defeats like this sting, especially since she wants the best for playmakers in their final campaign on campus:
"I get a little bit offended with 'you have time to rebuild, these seniors aren't your players'...They are my players."
— John Sartori (@JohnSartoriTV) January 10, 2025
Kim Caldwell says the #LadyVols two losses are especially frustrating for her seniors in their final season.
She takes winning for them very seriously. pic.twitter.com/dqgvMUGd7h
The Tennessee Lady Vols have suffered back-to-back losses
Yup, that clip showcases a pretty animated Caldwell. Can anyone blame her for feeling that way? Absolutely not. What makes these losses so difficult to swallow too is that the Vols were there late to potentially grab a win, but their efforts fell a bit short.
Aneesah Morrow led the way for LSU with her 23 points, while Kailyn Gilbert was right behind her with 22. Tennessee was led in scoring by standout guard Jewel Spears' 25 points and Talaysia Cooper's 24. In the end, though, the great performances from Spears and Cooper weren't enough.
Come Sunday, Caldwell and the Vols will take on Arkansas, a contest they need to come out on top of. Entering the week, Tennessee was ranked the No. 16 team in the country, but following the back-to-back defeats, they're surely going to take a slide in the next set of rankings. Look for Caldwell to get this squad back on the right track, though.