The Lady Vols are gearing up for their NCAA Tournament opener, drawing a matchup against the 7-seed NC State. This showdown is set for Friday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and promises to be a thrilling contest.
Head coach Kim Caldwell provided some updates ahead of the game, particularly regarding player availability. Deniya Prawl, who missed the SEC Tournament due to a concussion, is making her return to practice on Monday.
Meanwhile, Janiah Barker is dealing with an injury and will be taking it easy in practice for now. “She should be back today in practice,” Caldwell shared.
“And then, Janiah’s a little banged up. She’ll be limited today.
Other than that, everyone’s full go.”
The Lady Vols are no strangers to NC State, having faced them in their season opener, a tight contest that ended in an 80-77 loss in Greensboro. Talaysia Cooper was a standout in that game, showcasing her skills.
However, Caldwell doesn’t view this as a typical rematch. Both teams have evolved significantly since that initial meeting.
“I don’t love having to play a team that we’ve already played, but it’s not a game where it was - I think we’re both very different teams,” Caldwell explained. “We’ve both been through a lot since that game, so it’s gonna be kind of not a rematch, if that makes sense.
We’re both different.”
As the Lady Vols prepare, fans can expect a fresh and dynamic matchup, with both teams eager to prove how much they've grown since their last encounter.