Kim Caldwell remembers the glory days of the rivalry between the Lady Vols and UConn when she was growing up in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Specific games or moments aren’t what stuck with her. It was the magnitude of the matchup between the legendary Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma’s teams, which “took over your whole week.” The series that consistently featured the biggest stars in women’s basketball was the talk of the town.
“You would talk about it at school, and you would talk about it at practice,” Caldwell said Tuesday. “And you would just be looking forward to it, and then you would watch it and you would record it. It was just such a big deal, and I think that is something that was great for women’s basketball, and it’s very humbling to now be a part of it.”
Caldwell, 36, graduated from Parkersburg South High School in 2007 during the height of the Tennessee-UConn rivalry. Now, she’s coaching the Lady Vols in the series for the first time.
No. 19 Tennessee (16-5, 4-5 SEC) hosts No. 6 UConn (21-2, 12-0 Big East) at Food City Center on Thursday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The series returned this season after a one-year hiatus. The current game contract is for a home-and-home series for two years, per Tennessee athletics. The site for next season’s game at UConn, which often plays games off campus at the XL Center, has not been confirmed. The programs will discuss where the series will go from there.
It’s not just Caldwell’s first time experiencing the series. Ten of the Lady Vols are playing in the series for the first time, including fifth-year senior guard Jewel Spear.
“I think it means a lot, there’s a lot of history in that matchup,” Spear said. “I was aware of that matchup just with iconic, legendary players like Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Chamique Holdsclaw. So, it’s a lot of history in it, and I think it’s just a lot of pride that we take, knowing the historic matchup that it is.”
UConn is led by first-team All-American Paige Bueckers, who was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2021 as a freshman. Bueckers is averaging 19 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and two steals while shooting 54.4% from the field.
“She’s just a bucket,” Spear said. “I know her personally, and she’s just a great person, but also a great player. She knows how to get to her spots and she’s very efficient as well.”
HISTORY: Lady Vols-UConn rivalry history: What to know about Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma and Candace Parker
Spear said even though they treat preparation the same, going up against players like Bueckers gets their competitive juices flowing a little more than normal.
“I feel like any basketball fan, any basketball player knows how much this game means to us from a pride standpoint,” Spear said. “Our fans are going to come out and show us that support as well, so we’re ready for that. But you know, just keeping the main thing, the main thing, and then going out there and having fun.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kim Caldwell: Tennessee coach on Lady Vols-UConn rivalry she remembers
