BIRMINGHAM, AL – Kim Caldwell is looking for more consistency from Lady Vols basketball going into her second season.
Tennessee enters the 2025-26 season ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press preseason poll, and the Lady Vols have been tabbed as a Final Four and title contender by ESPN. But that high ceiling isn’t the only thing Caldwell has seen in preseason.
Advertisement
“I think we have a low floor, I think we can get in our way,” Caldwell said Oct. 15 at SEC Basketball Tipoff ’26 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. “And I think we have a really high ceiling, and those two things right now are very far apart. We need to do really a better job of (raising) what our floor is, staying out of our own way, staying focused and hungry.
“The goal is to make it to an Elite Eight or Final Four. Those are conversations we’re having. That takes hard work and it takes consistency.”
Tennessee hasn’t been to an Elite Eight in 10 years or a Final Four since 2008.
Caldwell’s non-traditional style of play may look different this season without as many 3-point shooters. Tennessee ranked second in the nation in 3-pointers per game (10.1) and third in 3-point attempts per game (31), but it lost its top three shooters to graduation.
Advertisement
Caldwell sees her team driving the ball more. Drawing fouls to get to the free throw line is their goal more than shooting 3-pointers.
Tennessee won’t go away from shooting 3-pointers, though, it will just be more of a group effort. The Lady Vols may not have added a pure shooter among their newcomers, but they’ve spent a lot of time in preseason developing 3-point shots.
“That’s something we always try to do, is make sure our players get better, whether it’s finishing with the left hand, getting to the foul line, their lateral movement,” Caldwell said. “If you have a decent shot, we think we can make you a shooter.”
Tennessee has a deeper roster, and Caldwell said the eight newcomers have elevated the level of their practices and made them more competitive. UT’s freshman class – which includes three McDonald’s All-Americans in Mia Pauldo, Deniya Prawl and Jaida Civil – has played a part in that.
Advertisement
Anyone can have a great practice, Caldwell said, and if the veterans don’t come to practice with the right mindset, they’re going to get outplayed by the freshmen.
“You can’t show up and just walk in the gym,” Caldwell said. “You have to show up ready or you’re going to get your tail kicked. We have five freshmen. They’re doing a great job. They’re tough. They are not scared of anyone. They’re not scared to talk, to lead. They win our sprints. They have been great.”
Freshmen twin sisters Mia and Mya Pauldo have added another layer of competitiveness to practices, which Caldwell said has been “a great dynamic.”
“I love to have siblings involved. I’ve had siblings involved in a team every year I’ve been a head coach. I love that,” Caldwell said. “I think that brings a really nice just little bit of competitiveness. You can just talk smack a little bit more when it’s your sister, your sibling.”
Advertisement
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Are Lady Vols a Final Four contender? What coach Kim Caldwell said
