Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper and graduate guard Jordan Walker met with the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of No. 7/9 UT’s top-10 clash at Thompson-Boling Arena with No. 3/3 Stanford (7-2) at 5:15 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Lady Vols are a perfect 9-0 on the year, marking the best start during Harper’s career as a head coach. It also is the finest opening to a season by Tennessee since the program went 15-0 at the outset of the 2017-18 campaign.
The Big Orange women have narrow wins over ranked opponents No. 23/22 South Florida and No. 12/21 Texas, a pair of teams that dealt defending NCAA Champion Stanford its only two losses this season. The Cardinal, however, bring a three-game winning streak to Rocky Top, with a victory over No. 2 Maryland beginning that string.
Tickets are available at AllVols.com. There are $5 tickets for all price zones (excluding courtside) available in advance or on game day. Plus, $1 tickets are available for kids 12 & under. Specials include $1 hot chocolate, and a “Kids Day Out” package that includes two tickets, two t-shirts and a pregame event.
Free parking and free shuttle service are available from the Ag Campus (Lot CF near Brehm & Food Science Bldgs.). For additional details and information, please call 865-974-1734 or visit the Fans tab on UTSports.com and click on the Fan Experience link.
Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper
On how to control emotions of team going into a big game…
“I think one thing that we do that allows us to stay levelheaded emotionally before a big game, is our preparation looks pretty similar from game to game, regardless of our opponent. I think keeping that consistency maybe gives our players a little more comfort, and hopefully keeps them from letting the emotions get the best of them.”
On what’s next for Rae Burrell…
“It’s not as far along as I was hoping in terms of being able to say, ‘This is the plan.’ She’s been able to progress a little bit more and has been in a few shooting drills with our team. We’re progressing. We don’t have a different timeline for anybody, but I know that she’s working really hard.”
On whether the team has confidence knowing they’re undefeated and has beaten two teams Stanford lost to…
“I don’t know how the team looks at that. I know, for me, it really hasn’t even crossed my mind. Our team still is playing a little bit with a chip on their shoulder. They want to go out and prove something. I think we’re a little better when we’re playing with a chip on our shoulder. Maybe that will be one of my motivational tactics.”
On the status of Kaiya Wynn and Emily Saunders…
“Kaiya (Wynn) has been back in practice this week and had a really good practice on Tuesday. We’re excited about that. Emily (Saunders) will be back in practice today for the first time. It’ll be good to get our (full) team back.”
On how confident Tamari Key should feel going into this game facing off against Cameron Brink…
“I hope that Tamari (Key) feels good about what she’s done leading up to this game, defensively. When you’re playing a player as talented as Cameron Brink, you need a little confidence in what you’ve done and how you’ve done it prior to it. I think Tamari can fall back on some of her experiences this year and feel good about it. I think the challenge that we have is Brink and the players around her. I think it does make things a little harder, defensively, when sometimes you have to be on an island one-on-one with Stanford, because they shoot the ball so well.”
On first top-10 match-up since 2018, and how excited she is to see the fans in the arena…
“This is such a great opportunity, an opportunity for our program. It’s an opportunity for a great game in Knoxville and for women’s basketball. It’s an opportunity for our fans to come out and get back to seeing top-10 match-ups. That’s how we’re looking at it. We’re just really excited. It should be a lot of fun. The atmosphere should be great, and that’s what it’s supposed to be here in Knoxville for the Lady Vols.”
On the challenges Stanford presents…
“Well, Stanford, they present a lot of challenges. I think you start looking at the personnel, they’re going to be bigger than us. That doesn’t happen a lot, but they will be bigger than us. They’re very intelligent. They pass the ball extremely well, so if you goof on defense, they’re going to make you pay. They shoot the ball well. They obviously have interior scoring. It’s really been their go-to. They get the ball inside, and then they’ve got a lot of options outside of that. Their transition offense is spectacular. And then, defensively, they just take away your strength. Whatever your strength is, each team is going to find out what their strength is, and they’re going to play through the weaknesses. That’s their game plan, defensively. So, I think those are things we’re going to have to combat. We’re going to have to play really well, we know that, but it’s, again, just such an exciting opportunity.”
On Tamari Key and Jordan Horston’s NIL deals…
“Yeah, you know, the NIL world that we’re living in, it’s for these athletes who have that ability… who have the marketability to be able to make money, and I’m excited for all their opportunities. And specifically those two, to represent a strong Lady Vol brand, it’s pretty cool; it’s pretty cool for them. You know, they’re learning a lot. All of our players are learning a lot this year with NIL and what all that means – it’s business, it’s real life. It’s just, again, it’s really neat opportunities for our student-athletes here at Tennessee.”
On Brooklynn Miles…
“I think Brooklynn has stepped on the court from day one with confidence. I’m telling you, we got after her. We yelled at her a lot this summer. We challenged her a lot this summer, and she took it, she ran with it, and she got better. And honestly, as a coach, to watch what she’s been able to do… we stayed on her as much as anybody this summer, and it honestly, really paid off. She’s one that can take it. She’s competitive. I’m excited about how she’s playing right now and, again, I think she needs to play with a little confidence. I think she’s a little better when she’s playing like that, and her teammates have a lot of confidence in her as well now.”
On Brooklynn Miles’ energy off the court…
“She’s been really positive. I thought one of the first impacts that we saw her make this summer, I thought she had a voice off the court. It was constant. It was positive. I thought that was really good. And then the more she practiced, and then as games started, she began to have a voice on the court as well. Obviously, as a point guard, that’s really important, so it’s been fun to see. I think she’s lively, she’s fun. I feel like, you know, she walks in the office, and she immediately comes and hugs you. She has a lot of love for our children (the Harpers’ children), so she goes and plays with them. So, she’s just been really fun to have around off the court, and I love the energy that she brings on the court, and it’s about the same off the court.”
Tennessee Graduate Guard Jordan Walker
On feelings and expectations going into the Stanford rivalry game…
“My feelings about this game are just having a great opportunity to play another amazing team. Just being able to go out and compete with my team, being able to grow and continue to build before we get to conference (games.”
On whether big games get her more excited…
“As a competitor, you go out every night and your juices are flowing. A game like this does get you excited. I don’t know if we need any extra boost of energy or anything to go out and play a team like this. I know that our team is ready, and I know we’re going to go out and give it our all.”
On what a game against Stanford means for program…
“We haven’t talked a lot about rankings. This team, we just love to compete, so we go out every night and put our best foot forward. With the rankings, we haven’t talked about it, but it does hold a lot of weight, and I think it’s just an opportunity for us to go out on Saturday night and win.”
On why this team is undefeated…
“I think that we’re really buying into the team aspect. I think we’re really buying into every single night you don’t know who’s going to go out there and give you what, but you know that we’re going to get it done. I think we’re really buying into that factor, and I think that that’s a huge reason why we’re winning now. Even though we’re going through games and things may not go our way sometimes, at the end of the day, we have a common goal and we have a common mindset that we’re going to come out with a win.”
On the coaching staff…
“The coaching staff has been amazing. Even this morning, Coach Sam (Samantha Williams) was going to get in with us and watch a little film and shoot whenever we want. Those are the little things, but really, it’s just building that confidence into our team – helping us grow and continue to compete each week. They just keep pushing us, and I think that’s the biggest reason for why we are where we are right now.”
On how it feels to have the stands full with fans…
“That’s going to be the main feeling. Seeing that Texas game where we had all of the fans there, that was a great atmosphere, and I definitely know that the fans helped us win that game. Being able to have the fans and pack out T-BA, I think that’s going to be huge for us in our games.”
On seeing Brooklynn Miles develop…
“We’ve been close, really since she first got here, so we just automatically clicked. Now, just seeing her do so well like last weekend with the SEC Freshman of the Week, it’s just amazing to see her grow and how she continues to grow week by week. Seeing her confidence boosting up, I think that’s an amazing thing, and I think that our relationship is really special. I help her; she helps me as well. I think it was two weeks ago, we were just competing in practice, and it was a point that everybody saw it. I think the biggest thing that came out of that is that every single day we’re pushing each other to be better. We’re guarding each other with our best defense, helping each other out. It’s just going to be really special as we go on in the season”
-UT Athletics
