Tennessee’s first open summer practice offered more than an early look at the Lady Vols’ new roster.
It revealed a team that already appears connected.
During the program’s first media availability since summer workouts began, coach Kim Caldwell repeatedly pointed to the group’s chemistry, energy, and willingness to embrace demanding practices.
“One of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of,” Caldwell said. “They are truly friends. They have each other’s backs. There’s not an ego. They all know they play a different role and they know what they do is important, but they really are friends.”
The chemistry has stood out despite Tennessee assembling an entirely new roster through the transfer portal and high school class.
Caldwell said the players have exceeded expectations with how quickly they’ve bonded away from basketball while maintaining the competitive edge required by her up-tempo system.
“I was a little bit surprised at how close they are together,” Caldwell said. “They are willing to work. They want to work. They pass the ball really well to each other. They are fun to be around.”
That effort has shown up from the first workouts of the summer.
Caldwell said the coaching staff intentionally pushed players during individual and small-group sessions to test how they would respond.
“We really wanted to see how hard we can push them,” Caldwell said. “We wanted to see if they would break, and they didn’t.”
While Caldwell acknowledged that positive energy is common during offseason workouts, she believes this roster has naturally embraced being good teammates.
“It’s not something we’ve had to coach a whole lot,” Caldwell said. “They just naturally do it on their own, which has been great. But again, we have to keep it. It’s easy to do in the summer, and vibes are always high in the summer, and you have to be able to do it all season long.”
That balance between intensity and enjoyment has become one of the defining characteristics of the team’s early identity.
“I enjoy coming to work, enjoy being around them,” Caldwell said. “They’re going to give you every single thing that they have.”
With months remaining before the season opener, Tennessee still has basketball details to refine. But after the first open practice of the summer, the Lady Vols have already established the culture Caldwell hoped to build: a team fueled by effort, energy and genuine belief in one another.
