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Lady Vols reap benefit of trust and belief in a 'Culture Win'

On3 imageby:Brent Hubbs•about 9 hours•

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Lady Vol head coach Kim Caldwell and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma met at midcourt for a brief minute pregame Thursday night before Tennessee’s 80-76 upset win. 

The veteran coach’s message to Tennessee’s first year head coach was simple. 

“Stepping into a situation like this. Stepping into this program when you are young coach who has never coached division one can’t be the easiest thing in the world. I just wanted to remind her that watching from afar, I can see the difference and I can see the impact that she’s had. I just wanted to let her know that I noticed that,” Auriemma said.

Creating belief and trust are first and foremost the biggest keys in establishing a culture in sports. It doesn’t matter the sport or the gender. You can’t start building or winning before you establish trust and belief. 

Thursday night in the Lady Vols victory over No. 5 UConn that belief and trust was on full display in a statement win for Caldwell and the continuing development of the culture inside of her program. 

Yes, Caldwell’s team executed brilliantly down the stretch offensively. But the story of the win was the effort.

Caldwell stated on ESPN postgame that her team just outworked UConn. 

Why? For many reasons but it starts with the belief and trust in one another that has formed inside the program. 

First, Caldwell made it clear that the players she inherited were her players. This season has never been about playing for the future. It’s about playing for now. It’s a message she made very clear in her post game press conference following the loss to LSU on January 9th. 

“I get a little bit offended with the you have time to rebuild. These seniors aren’t your players. That offends me. They are my players,” Caldwell sternly stated that night. “They chose to stay and I chose to coach them. So I don’t want to wait. I don’t want people to say ‘when you get your players in here’. These are my players. I want to win for them and I want to win right now. So these games that we can’t get back and that they can’t get back. Yes maybe they are establishing something for the future, but I want them to be able to have that experience too. I want them to get what they deserve.”

Thursday night, the seniors and the Lady Vols got that experience. It’s why senior Jewel Spear, who had two clutch fourth quarter baskets, immediately hugged her coach as the buzzer sounded.

It’s why senior transfer Samara Spencer, who had nine second half points, ran into Caldwell’s arms. It was to celebrate and to say thank you. Thank you, for the commitment to them that Caldwell has made in year one, while navigating coaching at the highest level and having a child. 

“We knew when she took the job here that she won a lot of games,” Spear said. “She told us when she got here that she wants this year to be the year that we do something special. She didn’t want to wait. That’s special being a senior hearing that from a coach that believes in us. You saw how quick she returned after having her baby. The sacrifices she continues to make for us. It’s the little things we have to do for her. It’s playing hard. That’s all she really asks for. I was really proud of us for doing that and really sticking together.” 

In her post game press conference, Caldwell, with wet hair from a locker room celebration, directed all the praise to her players noting she didn’t score a point or make a stop. But she also made it clear that she didn’t mind the post game embraces. 

“I welcomed it with open arms,” Caldwell said with a smile. “I thought we played really hard. I thought this was the game where we played the hardest and the most consistent. For them to run over and give me a hug was great. I want them to enjoy every moment of this.” 

A moment that honored the past, made a statement in the present and sent a message for the future. 

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