KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Nearly three dozen banners hang from the rafters at Thompson-Boling Arena, the majority dedicated to the Tennessee women’s basketball program — a constant reminder of the history and expectations that come with the Lady Vols.
One banner stands out. It commemorates Tennessee’s AIAW and NCAA tournament Final Four berths — 22 in all spanning three decades, the first in 1977 when Pat Summitt was still Pat Head, with no more than a four-year gap between appearances. The years are arranged vertically in groups of eight, but the entire space allotted for a fourth column remains bare.
Fifteen years have passed since the banner needed to be updated. The last time the Lady Vols advanced to the Final Four was in 2008, when — guided by Summitt and future WNBA MVP Candace Parker — they won their eighth national title.
Hanging opposite the visiting team’s bench, the banner might have once intimidated opponents, a symbol of decades of dominance. Nowadays it’s a reminder of a legacy that…
