The Lady Vols Had Me In My Feels Last Night
Image: University of Tennessee Athletics
By Cody McClure
I got chills last night when the Lady Vols and Kim Caldwell beat UConn.
I can’t remember the last time a Tennessee basketball win made me feel that way.
I’m sure there’s an answer in the Rick Barnes era, but I can’t think of it. We’re just so conditioned to winning with Barnes, which really speaks to how well he’s done with the men.
Perhaps the SEC Tournament Championship. That’s probably the answer for me. Actually winning that thing.
I’ve felt that way in football at least a couple times. Beating Alabama in their last two trips to Neyland comes to mind recently.
And then of course there’s the baseball NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
But women’s basketball-wise, this one felt so big.
Listen to the crowd when the final buzzer goes off here (also great job by the play-by-play man):
It has felt so long since Tennessee has been truly relevant in the women’s game.
Holly Warlick did well enough with her three Elite Eights but the shoes of Pat Summitt were just too much to fill.
The standard was too high back then.
Now we’ve got that “on our way back up” feeling. And that’s a great feeling in sports.
The feeling of getting BACK.
Now I know we’re not there yet, but taking down Geno Auriemma and UConn was such a big step.
Clearly the Lady Vols have been close on other occasions this year, but it felt like last night we finally broke through.
We’ve got the McDonald’s All-Americans coming in. And now I think we KNOW we’ve got the right coach.
The future is so bright around here.
Should we have stormed the court last night? Some of my friends were saying last night was a court-storming moment but I’m not sure if I agree.
What do you think? Let me know.