Tennessee opened its 2026-27 women’s basketball season with a 109-62 victory over Duquesne on Monday night. A victory that gave head coach Kim Caldwell and her new-look Lady Vols a winning start to her third season.
Kaylene Smikle delivered an impressive performance with a game-high 31 points. While Tennessee showcased its defensive pressure and unselfish play. The Lady Vols forced 27 turnovers and recorded 24 assists in the victory.
Following the game, Caldwell, Smikle, and Rylie Theuerkauf discussed Tennessee’s performance, the team’s chemistry and the significance of beginning a new chapter in Knoxville.
Kim Caldwell | Tennessee head coach
Opening statement:
“They gave us a really, really good punch there in the first quarter, and I was proud of how our team responded. We needed that. I needed to see how our team would react and respond with a little bit of adversity, and the other team went on a run. We wish them the best of luck.”
On Kaylene Smikle’s impressive first-half performance:
“I don’t know if it’s a record, but it is pretty impressive. She has been locked in from the moment I saw her today. She’s been happy. She’s been full of joy. She had a great shootaround. She played very hard in the shootaround. She’s had a very long time since she’s played in a basketball game. To be able to see that joy in her today was really special for me.
“I think a play that stands out to me, and I don’t know how much she had, but you have players that once they get hot, it’s kind of human nature to stay hot. She had the ball coming up our sideline near our bench, and I thought for sure she was going to stop and pop, shoot another three or get all the way to the rim. She found Naomi on a beautiful pass across the three-point line, and Naomi hit it, and then they celebrated.
“I think that says a lot about who she is and who our culture is as a team. She wants to make the right play. She doesn’t necessarily care about how many points she scores, but she wants to win. She wants to make the right play. She wants to be an all-around great basketball player, and I think you guys got to see that today.”
On Jada Eads setting the tone defensively and her offensive development:
“Yeah, I think she can look for her shot more. I think she pushes. I think she really sets the tempo for us on both ends of the floor. She is the first one up. She is always in the other team’s face, and she pushes pace for us on offense. Kennedy does the same, and that’s really who Jada has been. She’s only been back cleared for maybe a month now. I think she’s going to have a really high ceiling for us and continue to get better.”
On Rylie Theuerkauf contributing despite struggling from 3-point range:
“I’m very proud of her. Sometimes, what I’ve known from her in the past, when that three ball isn’t going in, she’ll get in her head. I didn’t see her get in her head tonight. I saw her contribute in different ways.
“We recruited her, and we wanted her to know that we see her as an all-around player. We see her as a defensive player, an offensive rebounder, somebody that can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, and she showed that she could do that tonight.
“Shooting bad does not mean you had a bad game. She did many other things to help our team. We were a positive when she was on the floor, and I think that’s the beginning of this new era for her. If the three ball isn’t going well, she’s going to be able to put it on the deck and pass and score and go get rebounds and guard and take charges.
“She’s a great rebounder, and I think we need to keep her on the floor. All of her fouls are aggressive fouls, and that’s who she is. She’s an aggressive player right around the rim. We’ll continue to tighten those up for her in practice because we do need her on the floor.
“KK has her hard hat on today because we give out these awards. She got deemed whoever played the hardest. Fats has the WWE belt for rebounding. When you coach a new team, a lot of new issues come up. They didn’t bring their prizes back from the last game, so they only had the hard hat. And Fats said she’s keeping her belt at home because she’s not giving it up. Nobody else is going to be able to take it from her.”
On balancing 3-point shooting with attacking the paint:
“We knew, scout-specific, because that’s how they were going to guard us coming in, and we had talked about that a couple days prior. We always want our points to be a mix. We don’t want to live and die by the three. We want to get to the foul line, and I think we got to the foul line pretty well tonight.
“Just being able to score inside the rim, and they had shot blockers, so we talked to the coaching staff in the locker room about ways to combat that. One way is our practice guys have to be able to block our shots at the rim and just continue to get better there and give them different looks.
“We knew that they were going to pack that paint for us, and we will see that again. I think we’ll see a lot of zone and continue to work playing on two feet at the rim, counter moves, going strong.”
On Duquesne’s perimeter shooting and defensive adjustments:
“She’s a great player. We knew coming in she was going to be a handful. One of my major concerns coming into the game was how well they could shoot from three, and she lit it up by herself.
“I think that’s a compliment to her and the player that she is. She will find a way to get that ball. She will find a way to get her shot off, and that’s also an area where we need to continue to grow. If the majority of our scout was around her, and we let her get that many threes off, it’s just an area where we need to continue to grow.”
On Tennessee’s 24 assists and unselfish ball movement:
“I was very pleased with the 24 assists, sharing the basketball. I think for a little spurt there in the fourth quarter, we maybe started to take some bad shots.
“But this is a selfless group, and they’re a relentless group. They’re a hardworking group. They’re a fun group to be around, but they are a selfless group, and they want to win. They want to make the right play. They want to score, and it doesn’t matter who it comes from. It matters that the ball goes in, and that’s what makes them so fun to coach.
“I think that’s what’s going to make them fun for you guys to watch.”
On freshman Gabby Minus’ debut and continued development:
“I was so happy you guys got to see that version of Gabby. That’s who she is. We’re going to see some freshman mistakes out of her, but I’m going to live. I’m going to rock with her.
“She was loyal to this program, and she stayed true. She was consistent from the day she said she wanted to be a Lady Vol. She’s been consistent in practice every single day since she’s been here.
“You know what you’re going to get from Gabby, and you’re going to get some freshman mistakes. She’s going to look you in the eye. She’s going to adjust. She’s going to learn, and she’s going to go out there and she’s going to make the right shot, get to the rim, go get offensive rebounds, keep her man in front of her.
“That young lady has a very, very bright future when you think she has four years left.”
On forcing 27 turnovers and the development of Tennessee’s press:
“I hope so. We still need to get better. There’s a lot of things that we’re going to watch on film, but when I go in the locker room, I always ask them what they see, and they’re giving the right answers, so they know what they should be doing. It’s a matter of being consistent.
“I think KK said it the best in the locker room. All five people have to rotate together and play together. We’re going to continue to make some mistakes in our press throughout November while we learn. We have 15 new players, but just continuing to learn those each and every single game.
“Our goal going into this game was 30. We were close to that. We want to continue to turn people over and get easy layups on that. That will help us get some layups at the rim.”
On Aaliyah Moore’s performance and returning to game action:
“It’s another player that hasn’t played in a really long time. It’s one thing to do an exhibition; it’s another thing to get her out there.
“She’s a very consistent player. She can score at the rim. She can score from three, and she’s a very good defender. She had some lapses in the half court, but I think you guys got to see who she is in the full court when she’s rotating up and getting one-handed steals and pushing pace the other way.
“She’s very athletic. She’s smart. She’s a skilled player. Again, we have players that haven’t played for quite some time. We’re only going to continue to get better as they get their legs.”
Kaylene Smikle | Tennessee guard
On receiving the team’s hard hat award and the emotions of her Tennessee debut:
“It feels really good to have your teammates really excited for you, but they’re genuine. I mean, they’re my sisters, so to have people around you that are genuinely happy for you really feels good.
“It’s a blue-collar worker hat. I just focus on playing my game. I don’t go into games like, ‘Oh, I’m supposed to …’ I just focus on playing, letting the game flow within me and just playing basketball.”
On the team’s reaction to Harper Peterson making a 3-pointer and recording a block:
“I think it just shows how happy we are for each other. Even the little moments, we celebrate each other, and we all want to make each other feel special.”
On choosing Tennessee for a fresh start and the program’s legacy:
“I think I can say that I agree with what she said. Freshman year, I was actually really interested in coming to Tennessee too. Same area, but just the legacy, how hard Tennessee works is something I want to be a part of.”
Rylie Theuerkauf | Tennessee guard
On seeing her first 3-pointer fall after struggling early:
“Yeah, it always feels good to see that first one go down. I think I’m doing a better job just getting to the rim when my shot isn’t falling. But it was definitely good to feel the first one go in on this court.”
On celebrating Harper Peterson’s late-game contributions and the team’s chemistry:
“Yeah, we just work so hard. It’s so good to see all of us shine at different moments, and it just feels good when you see that ball go in for anybody.”
On her decision to transfer to Tennessee and experiencing her first regular-season game as a Lady Vol:
“I think everything that Kim has ever told me since the day I stepped on campus has been true. It’s everything I dreamed of. I always dreamed of coming here as a kid, and I think just playing here and seeing the amazing crowd we got today, and I know there’s going to be more and more people coming. I think it was amazing to really play on this court.”
On how she became interested in Tennessee basketball while growing up in New Jersey:
“I always loved basketball. I’m a basketball kid, and the history here is amazing. So that’s really how I found it.”
