Tennessee women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell has already secured a signature win in her first season as the Lady Vols’ coach.
Caldwell and Tennessee upset No. 5 UConn 80-76 at home on Thursday night, earning the Lady Vols’ first win over the Huskies since 2007.
“I thought we played really hard,” Caldwell told ESPN after the win. “I was so proud of our effort. That’s a very good team. I just thought we maybe outworked them and that’s all we needed.”
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Tennessee forward Zee Spearman hit a two-point bucket with 12 seconds remaining to extend the Lady Vols’ lead to 80-76, making it a two-possession game. Tennessee also held star UConn guard Paige Bueckers to 5 of 16 shooting, despite Bueckers entering the game shooting a wildly efficient 54.4% on the season.
Spearman led Tennessee with 16 points on the night, with Samara Spencer, Jewel Spear and Talaysia Cooper adding 14, 12 and 11 points each, respectively.
Here’s how social media reacted to the Vols’ upset win on Thursday:
Tennessee upsets UConn: Social media reacts
Here are the best reactions to the Vols’ win:
That really is such a meaningful win. I don’t know if younger people truly understand what the UConn game really means. I was lucky enough to go to so many games with Pat at the helm when I was young and I can’t tell you how proud this makes me of Kim Caldwell.
— Charlie Burris (@Charlie_Burris) February 7, 2025
Conor Caldwell has only known a world in which the Lady Vols beat UConn.
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) February 7, 2025
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee upsets UConn: Social media reacts to Lady Vols’ win over Huskies
