Knoxville will be absolutely knocking on Thursday night when Tennessee hosts UConn in a meeting of two of the most historic programs in the sport.
“Walking into that arena, everybody hates you, everybody hates your guts,” UConn’s Paige Bueckers told Tennessee legend Candace Parker. It’s something the Huskies star hasn’t truly done yet — she was recovering from an ACL tear two years ago, and Thompson-Boling Arena was full of cardboard cutouts in 2021 due to the pandemic.
How to watch No. 5 UConn at No. 19 Tennessee
- Venue: Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center — Knoxville, Tenn.
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub
The boos for Bueckers may be matched tenfold toward Geno Auriemma. He’s 17-9 all-time against the Volunteers, 13 of those over the iconoclastic Pat Summitt. Auriemma will be the main conduit for some historic hostilities, and he leans in as a true heel.
This rivalry is so deep in lore — the Semeka Randall game-winner, the Maya Moore cold war, Rebecca Lobo in the national championship, Chamique Holdsclaw in the Final Four, Diana Taurasi forcing overtime.
Bueckers has met the lofty expectations for her senior season. She’s a few free throws shy of a 50/40/90 shooting season…
