REPORT: Kim Caldwell reveals reasons why Lady Vols couldn’t come back against Kentucky…..
In the aftermath of the Lady Vols’ 82-58 defeat to the Kentucky Wildcats on February 27, 2025, head coach Kim Caldwell provided a candid assessment of her team’s performance. She emphasized that Kentucky’s desire and intensity surpassed that of Tennessee, stating, “Kentucky wanted that game more than us, and it wasn’t even close.”
Defensive Lapses: The team struggled defensively, with Caldwell noting, “We weren’t necessarily even really trying at times to get stops.”
Lack of Resolve: She observed an uncharacteristic lack of determination, mentioning, “We looked just kind of dead behind the eyes and defeated and just no resolve, no pushback.”
Rebounding Deficiencies: The Lady Vols were outrebounded 52-31, which Caldwell attributed to insufficient team effort, stating, “I don’t think we rebounded as a team.”
Caldwell emphasized the importance of collective accountability and effort, asserting, “When you play an effort-based system and you don’t have effort… you’re going to get beat.” She expressed her intent to use this loss as a learning opportunity, planning to review the game meticulously to address these issues and prepare for future challenges.
