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- Teams’ First Meeting Since 2007
- On-Site Studio Presence Featuring Notable Alumnae Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings
The No. 23 Tennessee Lady Vols will travel to Hartford, Conn. Thursday night to take on the No. 3 UConn Huskies, marking the first time the two teams have met since 2007, renewing one of the most legendary rivalries in college athletics. Adam Amin, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe will call the action, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Lobo has firsthand experience with the rivalry having played for UConn from 1991-95 and defeating Tennessee in the national championship game her senior year.
Studio coverage, hosted by Maria Taylor, will be live from the XL Center. Taylor will be joined by UConn great Sue Bird (1998-02) and Tennessee standout Tamika Catchings (1997-01. Three of tonight’s commentators were ranked in the top five of espnW’s UConn-Tennessee: Ranking the 10 best players in the women’s basketball rivalry. Bird comes in at three, Catchings at four and Lobo at five.
One significant piece missing from this year’s matchup is legendary Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt, who lead the program from 1974 until an Alzheimer’s diagnosis led her to step down in 2012. At the time of her retirement, Summitt’s illustrious career included 1,098 wins, the most in college basketball history at the time, and eight NCAA Championships, also a record at the time in women’s college basketball. Summit passed away in 2016, but her impact on the sport lives on. In honor of Pat Summitt’s legacy, The Pat Summitt Foundation in conjunction with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has organized We Back Pat Week for the past nine years to bring awareness to the foundation and its fight against Alzheimer’s. ESPN’s coverage of We Back Pat week includes a full slate of SEC focused games. Full schedule can be found below.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Thu, Jan. 23 | 7 p.m. | Georgia at No. 21 Arkansas | SEC Network |
| Thu, Jan. 23 | No. 23 Tennessee at No. 3 UConn | ESPN | |
| Thu, Jan. 23 | 9 p.m. | No. 9 Mississippi State at Vanderbilt | SEC Network |
| Sun, Jan. 26 | Noon | Fordham at Dayton | ESPNU |
| Sun, Jan. 26 | 1 p.m. | LSU at No. 23 Tennessee | SEC Network |
| Sun, Jan. 26 | 2 p.m. | Temple at Cincinnati | ESPNU |
| Sun, Jan. 26 | 3 p.m. | No. 1 South Carolina at Georgia | SEC Network |
| Sun, Jan. 26 | 4 p.m. | No. 4 Oregon at No. 7 Oregon State | ESPN2 |
| Sun, Jan. 26 | 5 p.m. | Ole Miss at No. 9 Mississippi State | SEC Network |
| Mon, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. | Auburn at No. 12 Kentucky | SEC Network |
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