As Rae Burrell limped off the court in the Tennessee women’s basketball season opener, many expected the team’s chances of a strong start to also be sidelined. But not only did the Lady Vols still win games, they reclaimed an identity and vaulted back into the national consciousness while climbing the rankings.
Fifth-ranked Tennessee (17-1, 6-0) is off to its best start since a national championship run in 2007-08, its only loss to No. 2 Stanford.
The Lady Vols have been thriving with defense and rebounding, the two founding principles of legendary former head coach Pat Summitt. Tennessee entered the week leading the nation in rebounds per game (50.44) and field goal percentage defense (30.6).
Burrell, a preseason all-SEC selection, missed 12 games before returning to the court. The Lady Vols never missed a beat.
“I remember at the beginning of the season saying on TV the one thing I thought I knew at the time was Tennessee needed Rae Burrell. That was the one sure thing I knew,” former Lady Vol and current SEC Network analyst Andraya Carter says with a laugh. “But now, I think the best thing about it is she doesn’t have to rush the process, and Rae can find herself in this team unit without pressure for her to score or do big things.”
The Lady Vols have eased Burrell back into the lineup without disrupting the chemistry that led them to success. The senior looked like the Rae of old when Tennessee routed Kentucky 84-58. Burrell scored 14 points and was four-for-four from behind the 3-point line.
Being able to guide the team through the early adversity is a credit to Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper and her staff. In her third season leading the program she helped win three national titles as a point guard under Summitt, Harper has the Lady Vols playing a brand of basketball fans on Rocky Top have come to appreciate.
“Every time I see Kellie, she has morphed more into Pat,” ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli points out. “She looks like Pat, sounds like Pat and acts like Pat. I think that is a tremendous compliment because her voice is very similar and her delivery is very similar.”
Although Harper can always reflect on her glory days as a player, Christy Thomaskutty appreciates that Harper is not using her Tennessee privilege as a crutch in her coaching career.
“Kellie doesn’t hang on being a Tennessee alum. Kellie is a worker. Kellie does things the way Pat did things,” adds Thomaskutty, an ESPN analyst and former Emory head coach. “I am always cautious about comparing her to Pat, whether it’s the sideline stare or her intensity or the loving on her kids, but Kellie has all that. She is her own person, and I love that, but you see baby Pat in her.”
Tennessee’s selfless commitment to the game plan has been vital to the early success. Rather than relying on one star player to take over, the Lady Vols have received contributions throughout the lineup.
“I think the individuals on this team have a very true sense of self,” Carter says. “It’s one thing if a team knows who they are but a couple of individuals on the team are confused about their role or unhappy about their role. But for Tennessee, the whole team as a unit knows who they are and where they fit in the overarching unit of the team. Everyone knows exactly what they bring for the team to be successful.”
The Lady Vols have made sure to enjoy the process. Their postgame locker room celebration antics have started garnering more attention on social media.
“We think it’s really important that we maintain the fun,” Harper acknowledges. “I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. I don’t think we’re going to lose it. But I am a firm believer in we can work really hard and have a good time. I think you can do both simultaneously.”
Holding players accountable without draining their spirit can be a fine line to walk for coaches. Harper has done it by earning the trust of her players.
“It’s such a balance between personality and love,” Carter adds. “You want to be silly, but you also have to lock in and follow the game plan and be as serious as you can be when she needs to be. I don’t know how she has done it, but that team really responds to her.”
Thomaskutty hasn’t been surprised by Harper’s ability to help her players reach their potential. She saw it before a broadcast during Harper’s first season back at UT.
“I could tell that Kellie knew how to teach the game. The way she puts drills in, the kids understand why they are doing things,” Thomaskutty says. “To me, when games have been lost, people run drills that kids don’t understand. They are not being taught. Tennessee obviously has great talent, but those kids are playing hard.”
That’s been a defining characteristic no matter who is on the floor. During the win over Kentucky, center Tamari Key injured her ankle in the first half and didn’t return. The Lady Vols expanded their lead in her absence.
Given how the season started, they have confidence they can overcome adversity and pull out victories collectively.
Tennessee has won eight national championships and reached 18 Final Fours. But the Lady Vols haven’t been back to the Final Four since Candace Parker led them to the title in 2008. They haven’t even made it past the first weekend of the tournament since 2016.
Though a lot of the season remains and big challenges are yet to come, the signs of ending those droughts have been promising.
“They are in the conversation and they haven’t been in the conversation for a while,” Antonelli says. “I think they are back in the national picture. They have been on the periphery and now I think they are back in the Final Four conversations, especially with Rae getting back.”