Gabby Minus and Irene Oboavwoduo didn’t come to Tennessee looking for a comfortable landing spot. They came for a new test, and from the sound of it, the speed of Kim Caldwell’s program hasn’t thrown them off nearly as much as it might for other freshmen.
At media day inside Pratt Pavilion, the two Lady Vols talked through why Tennessee fit, how quickly they’ve begun to mesh with teammates and what they want to show once the season starts. For both players, the up-tempo nature of the system was a major reason the transition has felt manageable.
“Coach Kim, I feel like she was very confident in her system,” Minus said. “I feel like I came from a system that was already playing like that in high school, and so it was an easy adjustment.”
The fit went beyond style. Minus said Caldwell’s personality stood out once they spent time together, and that the connection has only grown since then. Oboavwoduo pointed to the staff’s directness as a big part of what pulled her to Tennessee.
“She was really genuine, the whole staff was genuine, and she was really honest about what she was trying to achieve and the people that she was trying to bring in,” Oboavwoduo said.Her time with Great Britain also gave her a head start in handling the running and pressing that come with Tennessee’s approach.
Even with that familiarity, both freshmen made it clear they haven’t been trying to figure things out alone. The adjustment has been shaped by teammates helping each other along, and by the time spent together away from the court. Oboavwoduo said team dinners and other shared moments helped the group come together early.
“Everyone had the same real goal of coming here to work hard, coming here to represent,” she said. “So I think that communal goal that everyone had really did bring us together.”
Minus and Oboavwoduo have also built their own connection off the floor through shopping, movies and meals. Minus even got Oboavwoduo into seafood, with prawns becoming a favorite.
Now the focus shifts to production. Oboavwoduo said the chance to contribute means something bigger than just her own college career. She wants to help the Lady Vols silence doubters while also showing young players back in England what’s possible.
“Coming in as an international, just proving to other people in England that you can really do this,” she said. “You can fly out and you can come to a school and be great,
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Mike Matthews Gave Tennessee The Jolt It Desperately Needed
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Matthews had already shown this season that he can finish drives as a receiver, with three touchdown catches to his name, but this one added a different layer to his value. For a Tennessee offense that needed a jolt, the play was a reminder that Matthews can impact the game in more than one way, and that kind of versatility can matter as the Vols try to steady themselves in a tight spot. [Read more 🡒]