Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball Wins First Game of the 2026-27 Season

The Lady Vols have finally started their season, as women's basketball made its long-awaited return, and the Lady Vols finally had the chance to showcase their talents in a regulated game, which was filled with firsts.

This was the first game for every player on the roster when it comes to playing on the Lady Vols roster, outside of the exhibition game a week ago that didn't count.

As many expected, this game went well, and was a game that showcased some key talent, which later resulted in a win for the Lady Vols over the Duquesne Dukes. The final score of this game was 109-62.

How the Game Played Out

Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell during a college basketball game between Tennessee and Duquesne at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville on Nov. 2, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The game started off a bit slow in the first four minutes, although there were some early shots that looked good, even if they didn't fall. However, that would quickly change, as the Lady Vols would find two key players to start getting the ball to. Those players being Kaylene Smikle and Jada Eads, who both finished the first half with more than 10 points.

In fact, Smikle herself finished the first half with 23 points, while only missing two shots. She was elite on the offensive side of the ball, while some of the other players contributed in an elite way on defense.

This would give the Lady Vols a 15-point lead at the half, which was more than comfortable for Kim Caldwell and her squad to open up shop in the second half.

They would get started early, as they would have some good shots fall in, including a big three by Aaliyah Moore in the third quarter. They also played some key defense, but Duquesne wasn't ready to give up. That was due to the fact that Duquesne star Carla Viegas was draining some massive three-pointers, which exposed some of the issues that the Lady Vols will need to fix before their next game.

Gabby Minus also started to show why she was a top target for Caldwell, as she scored a good bit in the third quarter. This included a massive three with seconds left on the third-quarter clock. The score at the end of the third quarter was 81-50, which meant this game was all but over for the Lady Vols.

The fourth quarter got started early with Naomi White draining a three, which was followed by a three from Fats Janneh. This was just adding onto the lead, which later resulted in a massive win for this Tennessee team, while also breaking triple digits.

Send your questions, comments, and hot takes to our email tennesseeonsi@gmail.com for the chance to be featured in an article!

Follow Our Social Media Accounts

• Follow Vols on SI on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click HERE)
• Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click HERE)

Add us as a preferred source on Google