In a precarious second half of the season, where Tennessee seemed to forget about winning, NC State just dropped the final sledgehammer. Kim Caldwell’s No. 10 Lady Vols faced a 76-61 defeat against No. 7 NC State to cap off their struggling season, prompting the former to come to a self-realization.

Speaking at the post-game press conference, the Lady Vols head coach took the blame on herself when asked whether roster depth and strength were a reason for their dismal season, especially in the second half, when they dropped eight straight games.

“I can’t put it on roster, I got to put it on me,” Caldwell said. “I’ve always been able to recruit players and stack talent, and get them to run through a wall for me and get them to play hard. I wasn’t able to do that, and one thing I can put my finger on is that I bailed on what we wanted to do first, and then how can I blame anyone else for doing it, and you cannot do that.”

“Anytime I talk to coaches that want to play this way and want to press, that’s the first thing I say, if you’re going to put a plan b don’t do it. You can’t do it, and I fell into my own trap,” Caldwell further added.

Tennessee’s struggles this season, and specifically in the game, are far from their recruiting. As per ESPN, the Lady Vols had the No.2 overall recruiting class ahead of the season. Laced with the likes of No.9 Mia Pauldo and No.17 Deniya Prawl, Caldwell’s team didn’t have any shortage of firepower. But the execution on the court is where the Lady Vols have struggled in the season.

And this execution primarily stems from their defense, which has been their Achilles’ heel. With Talaysia Cooper, Zee Spearman, and Mia Pauldo’s pressing, Caldwell has tried to build a strong defensive side, though it has been evident only in limited stretches. But the bigger picture is that the defensive results just haven’t come for Tennessee, and as the season went on, they were left to navigate how to tackle this challenge, which eventually cost them their season.

In the 2025-26 season, Caldwell’s team ranked 292nd in scoring defense, allowing 69.4 points per game. On top of that, the Lady Vols have also conceded 42.8% of field goals per game on average, ranking 302nd in the nation and clearly indicating how it has scarred Tennessee throughout the season, especially in their last stretch, when they went 0-8. In the first round game too, the Lady Vols struggled to limit the Wolfpack’s offense, conceding north of 50% from the field.

But Caldwell isn’t hiding away behind these numbers. She knows that all in all, being the leader of the helm, it was her defensive tactics and pressing schemes at the end of the day that couldn’t get the team to execute. And this accountability factor is something Caldwell has maintained throughout this precarious season, despite at times engaging in outbursts against players.

“It’s my fault, I’m the coach. I can sit here and be frustrated all I want, but if I’m seeing it, that’s my job to fix it. And obviously, I didn’t fix it,” she had said after her team struggled with discipline at training before a blowout against Mississippi State. But quietly, underneath, Kim Caldwell knew that, with her team’s defense, there was more to the NC State game that limited her team’s court prowess.

Kim Caldwell Pinpoints Another Nemesis That Scarred Tennessee Against NC State

While the defense had its place in Tennessee’s shortcomings in the game, the offense didn’t give the team much hope either in this first-round game. Kim Caldwell highlighted it straightaway in the press conference, maintaining a frustrating yet content tone for her team.

“We didn’t play very well on offense,” Caldwell added. “Ball didn’t really go in any type of way. I was really proud of the effort on the offensive glass. I thought they were going and crashing in hard. We obviously missed a bunch that allowed opportunities for more .”

Caldwell’s assessment is reflected in the box score. Tennessee generated a high volume of looks, attempting 73 shots from the field and 36 from beyond the arc, but struggled with efficiency, shooting 33% overall and 19% from deep.

Discipline with fouling was another issue that Tennessee struggled with in the game. The Lady Vols sent the Wolfpack 25 times to the free-throw line. NC State converted 21 of them, with Zamareya Jones scoring 10 alone.

Talaysia Cooper was the only silver lining in the Lady Vols’ offensive scheme. She went 9 of 20 from the field, scoring 24 points with 6 on the boards and 3 steals. No other player from Tennessee could score 10+ points except Zee Spearman. Janiah Barker’s illness absence came at the worst possible time for the Lady Vols, who missed her massively in this must-win game.

With this win, NC State now moves to the second round, where they face No.1 Michigan. Meanwhile, Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols will have to go to the boardroom once again for rebuilding ahead of the season and answer some tough questions.