KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee (16-11, 8-7 SEC) wraps up the regular season on Sunday afternoon, as it plays host to No. 5/5 Vanderbilt (26-3, 12-3 SEC) and honors five 2025-26 seniors beforehand.
The Lady Vols and Commodores will meet at 2 p.m. ET at Food City Center. The game will be televised by ESPN and available on the Lady Vol Radio Network and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Ch. 81).
UT, which will play its sixth top-10 team in its past 10 games on Sunday, is coming off an 89-73 setback at No. 6/6 LSU on Thursday night. The Big Orange has suffered five straight losses during this arduous stretch and is seeking to end that skid after showing signs of growth in its past two outings.
VU, meanwhile, is coming off an 85-60 home victory over No. 24/23 Alabama on Thursday night. Its only losses are to South Carolina, Ole Miss and Georgia.
This is the 93rd all-time meeting in the series between these programs, with the Lady Vols holding an 80-12 advantage. UT has won eight of the past 10 match-ups but dropped both games in 2024-25.
BROADCAST DETAILS
- Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) will be on the call for the ESPN broadcast.
- All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
- The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play and Jay Lifford serving as studio host.
- A link to the live audio stream can be found on the WBB Preview page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
- For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
- Air-time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
- The Lady Vol Network broadcast also will be available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel 81.
SENIOR DAY FESTIVITIES BEFORE THE GAME
- Tennessee will honor five seniors on Sunday in their final regular-season home game as Lady Vols.
- Janiah Barker, Nya Robertson, Zee Spearman, Jersey Wolfenbarger and Kaiya Wynn will be celebrated before the game at 1:34 p.m. ET (at the 20-minute mark on the pregame countdown clock).
- Wynn is in her fifth year at UT, while Spearman is in her second and Barker, Robertson and Wolfenbarger are completing their only campaign with the program.
- Barker (13.9), Spearman (10.8) and Robertson (8.5) are UT’s second, fourth and fifth-leading scorers this season.
- Lady Vol basketball graduate assistant Mashayla Cecil, manager Timothy Galloway and sports medicine student Kendra Collins will be recognized at the end of the first quarter.
FRESHMAN CLASS CARVING OUT ROLES
- All five of Tennessee’s freshmen are averaging double-digit minutes this season, including Mia Pauldo (23.0), Jaida Civil (19.0), Deniya Prawl (15.9), Mya Pauldo (10.3) and Lauren Hurst (10.1).
- As far as productivity, Mia Pauldo leads the way (10.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 2.4 rpg., 43 3FGs), followed by Jaida Civil (6.5 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 15 3FGs), Deniya Prawl (3.9 ppg., 2.7 rpg.), Lauren Hurst (2.6 ppg., 1.6 rpg., 12 3FGs) and Mya Pauldo (2.0 ppg., 1.5 rpg., 9 3FGs).
CIVIL TAKING OFF
- Freshman Jaida Civil has seen her playing time continue to increase over the second half of the season.
- The past two games have seen her earn the most back-to-back minutes in contests for the year. That extended run time has paid off.
- After producing a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds with 50-percent shooting last Sunday at No. 11/9 Oklahoma, Civil dropped 17 points and eight rebounds with 50-percent marksmanship at No. 6 LSU.
- The rookie from Vero Beach, Fla., is now averaging 6.5 ppg. and 4.2 rpg. for the season and is at 7.3 ppg. and 4.3 rpg. over 15 SEC contests.
NO. 7 SEED IN BRACKETOLOGY
- ESPN Bracketology currently lists Tennessee as a No. 7 NCAA Tournament seed in the Iowa City Region.
- The Lady Vols are matched with No. 10 seed Fairfield.
- No. 2 seed and host Iowa is projected to meet No. 15 seed Loyola Marymount in the other first round game.
- UT is pursuing its 44th all-time bid in the NCAA Tournament and is the only school to play in the event every season it has been held.
A LOOK AT THE LADY VOLS
- UT is ranked 21st in the NET, 28th in the WAB and receiving votes in the AP & Coaches Polls.
- Tennessee is led by 6-0 redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper (15.9 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 3.7 apg., 2.7 spg., 54 3FGs), 6-4 senior forward Janiah Barker (13.9 ppg., 6.6 rpg., 35 3FGs), freshman guard Mia Pauldo (10.8 ppg., 59 assts./36 TOs, 43 3FGs) and senior forward Zee Spearman (10.1 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 23 3FGs).
- The Lady Vols rank No. 6 nationally in threes made per game (9.6), with 15 contests of 10+ treys, including the last four games and eight of the past nine.
- UT is No. 15 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (15.6) and No. 57 in total rebounds per contest (40.00).
- Tennessee is No. 26 in NCAA scoring offense (77.4), including 75.3 in SEC games.
- UT is 35th in bench points per game (25.1).
- The Lady Vols are 39th nationally in steals per game (10.8), carding 10+ steals 14 times after grabbing an SEC-high 15 vs. Missouri.
- Tennessee is No. 48 in turnovers forced per game (19.78) and has caused 20+ turnovers 13 times this season.
TRENDING…
- Since Jan. 18, Tennessee is in a stretch of playing nine ranked teams in 13 games.
- Including Vandy, UT has played eight of the top 10 teams in this week’s AP Poll.
- UT has hit 35 percent or better beyond the arc in its last six games.
- Tennessee features four players (Nya Robertson, Janiah Barker, Talaysia Cooper and Zee Spearman) who have surpassed 1,000 career points.
- Cooper is 24 points away from becoming the 51st player in program history to score 1,000 or more solely at Tennessee.
- Janiah Barker (35) is five treys away from giving UT its first-ever quartet of players with 40 or more three-pointers.
- In addition to potentially reaching that first, Nya Robertson (55), Talaysia Cooper (54) and Mia Pauldo (43) also are trying to become the program’s second-ever trio with 50+ deep balls.
- Jaida Civil continues to display her growth, averaging 19.0 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. and shooting 50 pct. over the past two games against No. 11/9 OU and No. 6 LSU.
- Nya Robertson is averaging 16.0 ppg. over the past two contests.
A LOOK AT OUR LAST GAME
- Freshman guard Jaida Civil scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead a determined Tennessee effort, but five players scored in double figures to help No. 6/6 LSU fight off the Lady Vols for an 89-73 victory on Thursday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
- UT, which outworked LSU on the glass in the first half, 27-18, had leads in the first and second quarters before falling behind in the third quarter. The Lady Vols cut the deficit to nine late in the third and to 10 in the fourth quarter but could get no closer, as LSU used a 36-18 advantage in the paint and a 27-16 edge on the glass in the second half to secure the win.
- Civil finished five of 10 from the field, including a 2-of-4 night beyond the arc, and was five of seven from the free-throw line to pace the Big Orange (16-11, 8-7 SEC). Senior guard Nya Robertson and redshirt junior Talaysia Cooper also were in double figures, contributing 14 and 13 points, respectively. Alyssa Latham tied Civil for the team lead on the glass.
- The Tigers (25-4, 11-4 SEC) were paced by Mikaylah Williams, who had a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. MiLaysia Fulwiley, ZaKiyah Johnson, Grace Knox and Flau’jae Johnson added 18, 14, 13 and 10, respectively.
NOTES FROM THE LSU GAME
- CIVIL HAS FOUND HER GROOVE: Jaida Civil has found her groove over the past two games, logging a double-double with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds at Oklahoma on Sunday and notching team highs of 17 points and eight rebounds against LSU Thursday night. Her performance vs. LSU marked the fifth time she has been in double figures this season and sixth time leading the Lady Vols in rebounds in 2025-26. Civil has been a worker on the boards, notching six or more rebounds in ten games this season.
- NYA ON TARGET: Nya Robertson has caught fire as well over the last few games, scoring 18 at Oklahoma and then 14 Thursday night against the Tigers. Her effort vs. LSU marked the 10th time Robertson has had 10+ points this season and the 76th occasion in her career. The senior also has hit seven treys in the past few games, propelling her into the Lady Vol lead for treys made this campaign with 55.
- HITTING FROM BEHIND THE ARC: The Big Orange has made 10+ threes on 15 occasions, which is the second most times in school history. Tennessee has hit at least 10 in its past four games and in eight of its past nine. Tennessee ranks in the top ten nationally in threes made per game (9.6).
UT/VANDERBILT SERIES NOTES
- Tennessee leads the all-time series, 80-12, winning eight of the past 10 meetings between the schools but falling in Nashville and at the SEC Tournament last year.
- UT has won 18 of the past 21 contests vs. Vandy, dating back to 2014.
- The Lady Vols are 37-1 vs. the Commodores in Knoxville, 33-8 in Nashville and 10-3 at neutral sites (all postseason).
- These squads have been to overtime on one occasion, with Tennessee seizing a 92-79 decision in Nashville on Jan. 19, 1997.
- Tennessee has won the past four UT-VU contests played at Food City Center, including a 73-64 decision on Jan. 21, 2024.
A LOOK AT THE COMMODORES
- Vanderbilt features four players averaging double figures in points, including Mikayla Blakes (26.9), Aubrey Galvan (12.6), Justine Pissott (11.7) and Sacha Washington (10.3). Blakes is putting up 30.3 ppg. in SEC play.
- Blakes and Pissott led VU with 45 threes each in league games, but Pissott has hit a team-best 87 for the season, followed by Blakes (76) and Galvan (50).
- The Commodores rank No. 9 nationally in scoring offense (84.8) and No. 5 in three-pointers per game (9.7), just ahead of UT beyond the arc.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH
- Shea Ralph is 99-62 in her fifth season as head coach at Vanderbilt.
- She has guided the Commodores to NCAA Tournament appearances in the past two seasons.
- A seven-time NCAA champion as a student-athlete and coach, Ralph arrived at VU after spending the previous 13 seasons as an assistant at UConn.
- While serving as a coach at her alma mater, Ralph helped guide the Huskies to 12 Final Four appearances and six national championships, including a record four straight titles from 2013-16.
VANDY’S LAST GAME
- Mikayla Blakes scored 35 points to lead No. 5 Vanderbilt past No. 24/23 Alabama, 85-60, in Nashville on Thursday night.
- Blakes hit six three-pointers in the process.
- Sacha Washington had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Justine Pissott tossed in 11.
- VU set program records for most SEC wins in a season and its first undefeated season at home.
LAST TIME WE PLAYED VU
- No. 18/17 Tennessee put four players in double figures but it wasn’t enough, as No. 8 seed Vanderbilt defeated the No. 9 seed Lady Vols, 84-76, on March 6, 2025, in the SEC Women’s Tournament second round.
- Ruby Whitehorn led UT with 14 points, while Jewel Spear, Samara Spencer and Talaysia Cooper chipped in 13 apiece. Zee Spearman pulled down 10 caroms.
- Vanderbilt was paced by Mikayla Blakes with 24 points, while Iyana Moore (23) and Khamil Pierre (16) also scored in double figures.
- VU outscored UT, 21-6, in second-chance points.
LAST TIME WE MET IN KNOXVILLE
- Tennessee won for the eighth time in its last nine games and improved to 5-1 in SEC play on Jan. 21, 2024, beating Vanderbilt at Food City Center, 73-64.
- The Lady Vols were led by Rickea Jackson and Jasmine Powell, who each put up 16 points. Jewel Spear added 12 points, while Tamari Key chipped in 10.
- Iyana Moore was the top scorer for Vanderbilt with 19 points, while Jordyn Cambridge contributed 12.
NEXT UP
- Tennessee will learn on Sunday evening its seeding in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
- Play begins on Wednesday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., and runs through Sunday, March 8.
- Seeds 9 through 16 will open play on Wednesday, with seeds 5-8 starting play on Thursday and 1-4 beginning action on Friday.
- For bracket and other info., please go to: https://www.secsports.com/championships/womens-basketball-championship.
- During the early rounds, games will be televised nationally on SEC Network.
- UT contests also will be carried on Lady Vol Radio Network stations with audio streaming available on UTSports.com.
