UCLA was a mountain to climb for Tennessee. The Volunteers were always playing catch-up against the Bruins, with UCLA leading 49-39 at halftime. Even after some huff and puff from the Lady Vols, they gave up a 99-77 win. It could have been worse, as their star, Talaysia Cooper, had an injury scare in the first quarter.

While going for a lay-up with 2:06 left for the first break, Cooper came down hard on her ankle. Replays showed she had rolled her ankle as she limped out on her own. She went to the locker room with the athletic trainer. It looked grim for the Volunteers for a while.

Fortunately, Cooper was back on the court after some treatment. She completed the game, but not with her usual quality. In 30 minutes, she had 11 points while going 5/15 from the field, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. For the time being, it doesn’t appear that Cooper has suffered any long-term injury.

Cooper rolled her ankle while taking a jump shot against Georgia earlier this year, missing a few games. She also has some serious injury history, as Cooper tore her left ACL while at South Carolina in her freshman season, which ended her year and required an extended recovery.​ The Vols desperately need her to be fit for some long-term success. 

They are now 5-2 with both of their games against ranked opponents resulting in a loss.  Cooper is their leading scorer at 15.42 points per game, with Janiah Barker. She is also the lead creator at 4.5 assists per game. With their best player off colour, Janiah Barker continued to shine with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 on 3-pointers.

This went with three rebounds and two steals. Nya Robertson and Zee Spearman chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively. The main culprit, however, was their defense. 

Coach Kim Caldwell Laments Lax Defense But Relishes Competition

UCLA comfortably broke down the Lady Vols. UCLA managed to shoot 58.5% from the floor and 58.8% from range with only 12 turnovers. 99 points become the new record for most points conceded under Caldwell. It topped the mark of 93 that Liberty produced last season in a Tennessee win and LSU’s mark of 89 in UT’s loss a year ago.

Caldwell pointed out their uninspiring defense but maintained that this experience will be useful for their long-term development. 

“This was the first time I’d seen our defense be that bad. We’ve been pretty good defensively, but again, it’s why you play the game. It’s why you play this game so early in your schedule with so many new ones. We’re not afraid of it. We’re not scared of it,” she told the media.

Tennessee plays a high-pressure, quick-substitution style of basketball. It means they have a full-court press almost the entire time, which requires extra energy from all the players on the court. As a solution, Caldwell has quick rotations to give her players some rest. It works if every piece of your puzzle is operating at full capacity.

Likely because of the fall, Talaysia Cooper was unable to keep up with the intensity this system demands as she conceded a season-high 6 turnovers. After grabbing at least 3 steals in the last 5 games, Talaysia Cooper had just one this game. Beyond Cooper, the entire team had a disappointing defensive display.

However, it gave them a good preview of what happens when the system doesn’t work. 

“Our goal this year was to be better in the SEC, and we didn’t play anyone last year to help us do that. And we didn’t learn these lessons until we got into SEC play. We’re learning them now. And if our team will watch the film and make the adjustments, we’ll be ready by the time we get in the thick of it,” Caldwell said.

Last season, the Vols finished 8th in the SEC with an 8-8 record and had an overall record of 24-10. Before SEC play begins, they will also face No.23 Louisville, which will be another test of their progress.