KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Usually in a pregame layup line, you have time to linger. Mull about at the back, wait your turn, chat with a teammate. Not at UConn. At UConn you go — shoot, rebound, shoot, rebound — in a spin cycle of constant motion. Such is life when a grand total of seven players dress for a game.
The Huskies came here, to a site once commanded by a woman who defined women’s basketball, to rekindle a rivalry that established the modern-day version of the game. People used to complain about Tennessee and Connecticut seemingly swapping titles for years, arguing their dominance ruined the sport. Turns out they were just placeholders, waiting for everyone else to match their investment and catch up. Stalled from 2007 to 2019, The Rivalry 2.0 hasn’t been quite the same as the Lady Vols searched for someone to rediscover Pat Summitt’s magic.
But this game had a chance. Tennessee’s preseason aspirations and rankings (No. 5 to start) tumbled amid an ambitious nonconference schedule, and this marked the first time in the series’ history that both teams weren’t ranked in the Top 25. Yet the Lady Vols had rallied, rolling into a giddy Rocky Top arena on a nine-game winning streak.
UConn came to town pretty much duct-taped together. The Huskies might own the best…
