By Stephen Mason
Is this the season Kim Caldwell’s system reaches its full potential at Tennessee? A 109-62 season-opening victory over the Duquesne Dukes is a great start, though her high-paced, full-court press system carries inherent risks.
Offensive fireworks and ball movement
Offensively, the Lady Vols looked sharp, scoring more than 30 points in two quarters—a milestone they reached in only one quarter all of last season. That effort was fueled by the team’s willingness to pass.
“This is a selfless group, a relentless group, a hardworking group, and a fun group to be around,” Caldwell said. “They want to win, make the right play, and score; it doesn’t matter who it comes from—it matters that the ball goes in.”
While six players reached double digits, one player clearly powered the offense Monday night. Maryland transfer Kaylene Smikle scored a game-high 31 points, the second-highest output by a Lady Vol in her program debut.
“I just focus on playing my game,” Smikle said. “Usually I don’t go out in games like, ‘Oh, I’m going to score 20 today.’ I just focus on playing, letting the game flow within me, and playing basketball.”
Tennessee’s younger players also made an impact, led by freshman Gabby Minus. She delivered a solid performance with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Early November matchups serve as crucial learning opportunities for young players like Minus.
“You’re going to get some freshman mistakes, but she’s going to look you in the eye, adjust, learn, and go out there to make the right shot, get to the rim, get offensive rebounds, and keep her man in front of her,” Caldwell said. “That young lady has a very, very bright future.”
A familiar system for Duquesne
Entering the game, the Dukes knew what to expect against Caldwell’s aggressive scheme. Duquesne head coach Dan Burt was already familiar with the system, having played against teams running it and attempting to implement it at Duquesne last season.
“That system, I’m familiar with it, and it’s a very good system,” Burt said. “She’s got them playing very well, very, very early. I wanted to have an opportunity to play against it—I don’t know if I want to play against it again.”
While Duquesne’s top scorer played 37:18, Smikle played just 21:23 as Caldwell routinely substituted unit-by-unit to keep legs fresh. That depth gradually wore down the opposition.
“When you’re subbing in like that, you have to get your matchups, and early in the year, communication is not going to be as strong as it is at the end of the year,” Burt said. “You have fatigue that sets in, certainly—I saw fatigue in us, but not to the point where our kids quit or anything like that.”
A major objective for Caldwell this season is volume 3-point shooting. Against Duquesne, the Lady Vols launched 46 shots from beyond the arc, making 17. However, Duquesne’s perimeter defense held strong early, forcing Caldwell’s staff to adjust after the first quarter.
“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,” Caldwell said. “Just being able to score inside the rim—they worked hard; they had shot-blockers.”
At the free-throw line, the Lady Vols shot 20-for-26—nearly 10% higher than Caldwell’s first two teams on Rocky Top averaged.
Areas to clean up before heavy hitters
Tennessee’s press paid dividends by forcing 27 turnovers. Though that fell short of Caldwell’s internal benchmark, she praised the team’s intensity.
“We still need to get better—there are a lot of things that we’re going to watch on film,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to continue to make some mistakes in our press throughout November while we learn—we have 15 new players—but we just need to continue to lessen those each and every game.”
Playing at that pace presents drawbacks. Tennessee’s defense struggled on the perimeter early, leaving shooters open that Duquesne capitalized on.
Senior guard Carla Viegas led the Dukes with 24 points. After starting slow from the 3-point range, her confidence surged as she knocked down a game-high seven 3-pointers.
“One of my major concerns coming into the game was how well they can shoot it from three, and she lit it up by herself,” Caldwell said. “I think that’s a compliment to her and the player that she is—she will find a way to get that ball and get her shot off. It’s also an area where we need to continue to grow.”
While the offense looks well on its way, the defense remains a work in progress. With 15 new roster additions, growing pains are inevitable. Fortunately for Caldwell and her squad, their first marquee test won’t arrive until late November, when reigning national champion UCLA visits Knoxville.