The Lady Vols walked out of Athens with an 82-77 overtime win over Georgia, but the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story. Tennessee had its full roster available for the trip, but one name was noticeably absent from the action: Kaniya Boyd. The freshman guard didn’t log a single minute, sitting the entire game despite being cleared to play.
After the game, head coach Kim Caldwell shed some light on the situation.
“Yeah, I think when she had that injury, she was set back a little bit,” Caldwell said. “But she’ll be fine. She’ll be back in it.”
Boyd tweaked her knee during Tennessee’s loss at UConn the previous Sunday - an injury that echoes one she dealt with back in high school. She did return to that game, but clearly, the staff is being cautious with her recovery. While she was technically available against Georgia, the decision to keep her on the bench suggests they’re not quite ready to push her back into the rotation.
On paper, Boyd’s numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet - 2.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in just over 12 minutes per game. She’s shooting a respectable 42.4% from the field and 31.6% from deep. But her value to this team goes well beyond the box score.
Boyd has carved out a role as a defensive specialist, a key cog in Caldwell’s high-pressure system. Her quickness, instincts, and ability to disrupt opposing guards give Tennessee a different gear on that end of the floor. Without her, the Lady Vols had to adjust - and it showed.
The game itself was a back-and-forth battle. Tennessee held a slim lead in the final seconds of regulation, only to foul a Georgia shooter who calmly knocked down all three free throws to force overtime.
But in the extra period, the Lady Vols regrouped. They came out aggressive, took control early, and never looked back.
“I think it was good for us,” Caldwell said. “It was good for us to get one under our belt.
It was good for us to win. I thought we played with poise and good pace and together down the stretch.
And I was a little bit worried about the momentum not being in our favor and us being deflated, and we weren’t.”
That resilience - especially on the road, in a hostile SEC environment - is something Caldwell’s been trying to build all season. And while Boyd wasn’t on the floor, her presence on the bench and role within the team dynamic still matter. This is a group that thrives on energy, defense, and depth, and when fully healthy, Boyd is a big part of that identity.
Looking ahead, Tennessee faces another major test. The Lady Vols travel to Columbia to take on South Carolina this Sunday at 3 p.m.
ET on ABC. It’s a marquee SEC showdown, and Boyd will likely be listed as available again.
Whether she sees the floor or not will depend on how that knee responds in the coming days.
But make no mistake - when Boyd is at full strength, she brings a defensive edge that could be the difference in games like these.