Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper met with the media via Zoom on Wednesday afternoon, taking questions about Thursday’s contest between the No. 13/10 Lady Vols (19-4/8-2 SEC) and Missouri (16-7/5-5 SEC). 

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET in Thompson-Boling Arena, and the game will be televised on SEC Network. 
 

Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper

On where the team is at in terms of being ready to close out the SEC season…
“Yeah, I think we’re going to find out. You know, they’ve been good in practice. We’ve seen them a lot in the last couple days, just checking in on them, spending time with them watching film. So, we’ve had a lot of touches, but you know, when the game begins, we’re going to find out where we’re at. Because right now… I think right now they’re good. Practice has been good. They’ve practiced hard. I think they’re saying the right things, but you’ve got to go out and execute.”

On if Tamari Key’s ankle injury is still an issue…
“I think we’re probably looking at more of a mental hurdle. She and I actually talked about that this week, but I don’t think it’s anything that’s holding her back. So, we’ve just got to get, you know, get everybody back in a good place mentally but also with some good practice habits, good rhythm in practice, good rhythm in games. We can get back to that.”

On being in control of their own destiny in SEC play…
“I think sometimes they need to be reminded. You know, we’re trying to learn how to live in this space right now. This is so new, and we don’t like it. So, we’re trying to have a sense of urgency but also not have a sense of panic. Right now, we’re still in good shape. We just need to get back feeling good about what we’re doing. You know, that’s easier said than done. You don’t just magically do that. You’ve got to go out and lock in, execution lines; you’ve got to be tough, and you know, and that’s a lot easier said than done. Especially when you’re playing Mizzou because of how they play and how tough they are.”

On the challenges Missouri will present…
“I think the challenges are the matchups for us, defensively. We have to get out behind the three-point line and guard. They do a great job of spacing you out if you do get out there. Offensively, for us, they do a great job at taking away your strengths. Each game is different. They go into a defensive game plan for their opponent. We have to go in and be solid, because they’re really trying to take away any strengths we may have. They’re just tough. They’re resilient, tough, and motivated. They’re good.”
 
On getting struggling players to have an aggressive mindset…
“I think that’s the million-dollar question: how do you get them back where you need them to be? Nothing for them has changed in terms of what we’re asking them to do. We have to just get back to what we’re good at and play with that confidence. I do think it has to come in practice. You have to be able to step up and make plays in practice. Then, you carry that over to games. I would like to see that resilience and that toughness reappear. It may or may not equate to wins, but I think that’s where we have to get that back.”
 
On if players have a more aggressive mindset in practice…
“I thought our practice yesterday was good. It was short in terms of the length, but it was intense and aggressive. I thought our players were more focused. I’m excited about taking the court today and really pushing them again. At this point, it’s February, so you can’t practice long. Time is critical, but you have to be really good while you’re out there. I’m excited about pushing them while they’re out there today and seeing where we can get them.”
 
On the message she is sending to Jordan Walker…
“The thing about her is she’s always competitive. She was getting after it there in our games. Sometimes, she honestly tries too hard. She wants so bad for this team to win and make plays. I think sometimes we lose our patience a little bit. I think for her, she’s been watching film, she’s been in the gym a lot. She’s patient and she’s settled. She’s showing that composure, because I think her teammates are going to get that from her.”

On the most positive takeaway moving on in the season…

“Well, it could be a lot (of things) actually. I think some of our team was feeling some pressure with where we were ranked or how we were doing and expectations. So, I think one takeaway is learning to live in that space. I think another takeaway can be just a reminder of how tough this league is and how tough you have to be every night out when you’re playing. And I’d like to think that if we can come through this with a positive outlook, it could help us, because it’s a big reminder of who we need to be and how we need to play, and why we were good when we were winning games.”

On Jordan Horston as a teammate…

“Jordan is a really good teammate. She is selfless. She’s humble. She loves her teammates. She wants to win and, I think those qualities about her… she has a genuinely big heart. I think those qualities help when she’s getting attention. She can brush it off. She just wants to win. And that’s easy to say. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, I just want to win. I’m not interested in that.’ But it’s true. It really is true. She just wants to win. And I think that competitive spirit that she’s had all seasons been infectious or contagious, and I’m really proud of her for hanging in there.”

On specific responses she looks for from players during practice…

“Part of its body language. Part of it is are they saying the right things? Are they communicating, to get together? (Is there) an air of confidence when they step out on the court? Are they making hustle plays? Are we just being tough and gritty? Are we working hard? It’s not the shooting percentage. It’s not how you guard this, it’s all the other stuff. Because once you get all the other stuff, you start playing with confidence, then everything else falls in line. So for us, just dang toughness, right? That’s what we want to see.

On what Emily Saunders and Karoline Striplin bring to the court…

“Well, I think, their minutes thus far have been situational. You know, they bring some positives to the court. I think each player brings something different. Emily helps us because she can come in and still give us size in the paint and presence in the paint. And I think, Karoline, she works really hard. I’ve noticed this, obviously, more in practice, that she’s been posting up very strong, and it’s given us an offensive presence in the paint. And so, as they keep working on their game, it may be each game maybe you see where one of them might give you some minutes or maybe both of them. But we’ve got to find ways for them to keep getting better in practice and then hopefully gaining more meaningful minutes in the games.”

On Kaiya Wynn and Karoline Striplin…
“Kaiya (Wynn) was out there for a little bit right when we felt that we were ready to get her maybe some more minutes, and then she’s out for a bit. So, we’ve got to get her back where she’s feeling good, and obviously, we’re at practice every day; we’re seeing everyone’s strengths and where they can improve. Then, Karoline (Striplin), she’s just got a resilience about her. And I’ve said that numerous times, she’s just going to try and give you everything she’s got every time she’s out there. The same with Kaiya. I think you don’t worry about their effort for sure. You know that they’re still working through I think a little bit of the speed of the game at this level. We’re continuing to challenge them every day in practice. One thing that we’ve always said is players that don’t get a lot of minutes, it’s sometimes deflating. I get that, and it’s hard to stay motivated. I do believe those two have stayed motivated. To me, you never know when your number is going to be called. You never know when that opportunity is going to be there. There are so many ebbs and flows to the game – foul trouble, injuries, the way the game is going, the way the game is being played. So, we ask them to be ready. You absolutely have to be ready. That may or may not equate to minutes, but you’ve got to be ready, because at some point, it is going to matter, and it is going to be important that we get good minutes from our bench.”
 
On how big a win would be tomorrow…
“We desperately need to win right now, I think, for morale sake. It’s not a given, that’s for sure. You know that you’ve got to perform to get it, but regardless, we need to win. I’d like to see – regardless of the end result – us play a certain way. I really do believe that’s more important right now, how we play. As we take the court, we can’t be overwhelmed by the sheer need to win, just go out and play each possession. Be great this possession, and once you start doing that, once you start simplifying it, once you really start taking one possession at a time – I know it’s cliché but it’s true – it makes the end results better. Right now, we can’t be looking big picture; it is what are we going to do when that ball tips, how well are we going to play on each end of the court.”

-UT Athletics