Tennessee
South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch – Tennessee
South Carolina women’s basketball wraps up the first half of the SEC season with a trip to Tennessee. Find out how to watch and what to watch for against the No. 17 Lady Vols.
1. Run Run Run
Tennessee is the highest-scoring team in the nation, averaging 93.4 points per game. That is nothing new for South Carolina, who is coming off of games against teams ranked fourth, 15th, fourth, and third entering the game.
Tennessee is different from those other teams, though. Tennessee leads the country with 33.9 three-point attempts per game, and the Lady Vols want to run and shoot for 40 minutes.
On offense, they want to get up as many shots, especially threes, as possible. On defense, Tennessee presses and traps full court to make everything difficult. It wears opponents down physically and mentally, and all five players have to be on the same page.
“Being decisive and just going to the ball, meeting passes,” Te-Hina Paopao said. “Just being really decisive with the ball and knowing what you want to do with it.”
Against the Lady Vols, you have to be patient on offense, protect the ball, and not get sped up. Defensively, you have to stay glued to your player. The Lady Vols have issues scoring in the halfcourt when they aren’t getting stops.
“There are certain things we need to take care of,” Dawn Staley said. “The ball is one. Two is defending our turnovers if we do turn the ball over. Three is obviously transition and the three-point line. Four is we’ve got to defend. Although you’re not going to disrupt them so much because they space you out, we’ve got to handle being able to guard one-on-one.”
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2. Depth
Both South Carolina and Tennessee use a lot of players. Tennessee has 10 players playing between 13 and 25 minutes.
The Lady Vols aren’t afraid to substitute all five players at once. It’s all designed to make their press feel relentless and wear down opponents physically and mentally.
South Carolina did that earlier in the season, but more recently, Dawn Staley has preferred to frequently substitute one or two players at a time to stay fresh.
South Carolina’s 10-player rotation has shortened to eight recently due to injuries to Ashlyn Watkins and Maddy McDaniel. McDaniel has been slow to get back to where she was before suffering a concussion. She and Maryam Dauda have only gotten brief playing time lately, but this might be a game where Staley expands the rotation, especially if she needs another ball-handler like McDaniel.
“Good two days of practice,” Staley said. “I think she’ll play. I do think she’ll play. Her speed, her ability to be a little bit different than all of our guards, will pay dividends. We’re going to need that against Tennessee.”
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3. Three-point shooting
South Carolina shot just 2-13 against LSU and was 0-6 in the second half. That continues a recent trend. The Gamecocks were 10-28 against Oklahoma, but just 3-20 against Alabama and 3-7 against Texas.
That comes out to 26.5% (18-68) over the last four games. South Carolina has shot around 35% for most of the season.
The strangest part of the recent slump is that most of the attempts have been open looks from Te-Hina Paopao, Tessa Johnson, and Bree Hall. That group normally shoots over 40%, but they are a combined 33.3% over the last four games.
They seem due for a breakout.
4. Availability report
South Carolina remains as healthy as it will be for the rest of the season. Only Ashlyn Watkins (Out) is listed on the availability report.
For Tennessee, Kaiya Wynn is Out. She’s been out all season with an Achilles injury.
The biggest availability question heading into the game doesn’t involve players, it involves Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell.
Caldwell said on Sunday that she plans to coach the Lady Vols Monday night, just seven days after giving birth to her first son, Conor Scott Caldwell, on Jan. 20. Caldwell returned to practice on Friday.
Caldwell missed the Lady Vols’ last game at Texas. Assistant coach Jenna Burdette led Tennessee in her absence.
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5. Scouting the Lady Vols
Tennessee rolled through the non-conference season undefeated, including a 139-59 win over NC Central, where the Lady Vols made a mind-boggling 30 three-pointers, an NCAA record.
It’s been a different story in SEC play, where the Lady Vols are 3-4. However, those four losses have been by one point to 13th-ranked Oklahoma, two points to No. 6 LSU, one point to Vanderbilt, and four points at No. 7 Texas.
Ten-point margins can seemingly vanish in a flash with Tennessee, who came back from 19 down against Oklahoma and 18 down against LSU. But there are also the dry spells that dug those holes to begin with.
“The different style will probably take a little bit to adjust to,” Staley said. “We’ve got to make them adjust to us. The whole objective is for us to adjust to them. Then, somewhere in the middle, a team is going to have a run. I just hope it’s us.”
Caldwell has remade Tennessee through the transfer portal. The five players who have started and played the most are all transfers. All but one, Jewel Spear (12.8 points), who came from Wake Forest, are in their first season playing for the Lady Vols.
That includes Ruby Whitehorn (13.5 points), the highest-ranked recruit in Clemson history, who has finally realized her potential in Knoxville. Zee Spearman (11.1 points, 5.9 rebounds) was part of Miami’s surprising Elite Eight run in 2023. Samara Spencer (11.3 points, 5.5 assists) was part of the mass exodus in Arkansas following last season.
Lastly, there is former Gamecock Talaysia Cooper. Cooper was a freshman on the Gamecock team that lost to Iowa in the Final Four in Dallas. When South Carolina added Paopao out of the transfer portal the following offseason, there wasn’t much playing time left for Cooper.
Cooper decided to transfer late and missed the window to be immediately eligible. She sat out last season and has blossomed into one of the SEC’s best players this season. At 6-0, Cooper is a long, rangy athlete with a versatile game.
Caldwell’s system has maximized Cooper’s strengths and minimized her weaknesses. It’s a reminder of how much fit matters. Tennessee’s fluid, positionless style and pressing defense are perfect for Cooper.
Cooper is averaging 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.3 steals, and is Tennessee’s leader in blocks. It’s a throwback to her high school career at East Clarendon when she had multiple quadruple doubles.
“A great player. A great player,” Staley said. “We recruit great players and we had great players in our program. I’m really happy for Coop. I’m happy that she’s found her happy place. She’s a bear to deal with because she can do it all. She can defend. She can score three levels. She can play multiple positions. I think the style of play fits perfectly for her.”
The Ws
Who: No. 2 South Carolina (19-1, 7-0) at No. 17 Tennessee (15-4, 3-4)
When: 7:00 ET, Monday, January 27
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
Watch: ESPN2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature could reshape how pharmacies do business in the state, with CVS warning it could lead to widespread store closures.
The Tennessee Senate has passed legislation that would change the way pharmacies can operate. The proposal has been dubbed “the CVS bill” because it directly impacts the drugstore chain.
Under the bill, drugstores would no longer be allowed to negotiate prices directly with insurance providers or government programs. Instead, a third party would be required to step in.
The bill is now under debate in the House. CVS says the change would force more than 100 of its pharmacies to close across Tennessee, but lawmakers disagree.
Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.
It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.
McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.
McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.
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Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
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