Pressure is mounting in Knoxville, but Kim Caldwell isn’t blinking.

The Tennessee Lady Volunteers are in their worst phase of the 2025-26 NCAA season. With four straight losses and seven defeats in their last nine games, the Lady Vols are searching for answers as the regular season begins to slip away.

But panic? That word doesn’t exist in Coach Caldwell’s dictionary.

In her recent media appearance ahead of the Lady Vols’ highly anticipated matchup against the No. 6-ranked LSU Tigers, when Caldwell was asked about the group’s morale, she made it clear that the locker room hasn’t fractured.

“I think we’re okay. We know that we are getting better as individuals. We can clearly see now what we need to get better at – which is transition defense. Limit your fouls,” Kim Caldwell said. “And we finally have had two days of practice back to back, where we can maybe piece some things together and try to take a stride forward. But it’s not the end of the world for us. We’re still trying to get better. We still have goals. We’re still trying to reach those.”

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Even though the Lady Vols opened the season looking like legitimate national title contenders, February has exposed cracks in their system that are hard to ignore.

They are among the national leaders in three-point attempts, where they have launched 808 shots from beyond the arc so far. However, when it comes to converting them, they sit at just 249.

Another issue that they have been facing is transition defense.

The Lady Vols’ full-court pressure system is built on frequent substitutions and consistent rotation patterns, but Caldwell recently acknowledged that those patterns haven’t been as steady this season. That instability has shown up on the defensive end, particularly in transition. Without the same rhythm in their rotations, Tennessee has struggled at times to get the ball stopped and avoid defensive breakdowns against quality opponents.

Foul trouble has been another major area of concern for Kim Caldwell’s squad. In their recent matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Lady Vols committed 32 fouls, which not only gave their opponents free points but also prevented defensive rhythm.

However, Caldwell’s solution? Accountability.

She further added, “So our whiteboard is back out. We’re tallying – you have 24 for every time you foul. We’re calling them live, we’re calling them in real time, we’re calling them tight.”

While her optimism is steady, the real question remains – will it translate into wins? The answer to that question won’t take long to arrive. Because in less than 24 hours, Tennessee will face one of the strongest teams in the SEC, which will leave little room for the same mistakes that have defined this rough stretch.

Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols vs Kim Mulkey’s Tigers: Game Preview

The Lady Volunteers are all set to head to Baton Rouge for their final road test of the regular season. They will walk into the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to face the Tigers, a team that rarely lets their opponents breathe, especially at home.

For LSU, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams are working as their anchors on perimeter attack, as they average a combined 27.2 points per game. But the Tigers rarely depend on a few players to carry out their offense. MiLaysia Fulwiley and Jada Richard also stretch defenses further with double-digit scoring of their own. So if Tennessee’s transition defense lags even a step, LSU has the guard play to punish it immediately.

But this matchup is more than just another high-ranked game; it’s a glimpse into the league’s next wave of stars.

LSU and Tennessee signed the No. 1 and No. 2 recruiting classes in 2025, respectively, and that talent is already seeing the floor. Grace Knox and ZaKiyah Johnson have carved out meaningful SEC minutes for the Tigers, while Tennessee’s own five-star trio, Mia Pauldo, Deniya Prawl, and Jaida Civil, continue to grow into larger roles.

However, the Lady Vols’ biggest storyline may revolve around availability.

Forward Janiah Barker did not travel with the team for the Oklahoma game after failing to meet program expectations, according to Kim Caldwell.

The 6-foot-4 forward averages 14.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, shooting nearly 47% from the field and over 36% from three. So if she’s unavailable again, Tennessee doesn’t just lose scoring, it loses size, rebounding, and defensive versatility against LSU’s frontcourt.

But coach Caldwell believes her team is improving. She believes that they understand what they need to do right. Yet belief alone won’t slow LSU’s guards or clean up second-chance points. They will need to show up, or the skid continues.