“Although that was not the sole reason, that was the breaking point for me,” said Kaiya Wynn of her decision to leave Tennessee after not getting to start the senior night game against Vanderbilt. The news took the Lady Vols and head coach Kim Caldwell by storm, adding even more worries for the second-year head coach. But now, a former Lady Vols player has given Caldwell a bit of cushion, coming forward in support of the latter amid the program’s six-game losing streak.

Tess Darby, a former Lady Vols who concluded her collegiate career last year and played under both Caldwell and Wynn, shared a statement amid this situation. Darby, similar to Wynn, also couldn’t start in her senior night for the program, but the approach between the players was different. While Wynn retaliated, Darby introspected.

“In Coach Kim’s system, starting is earned off the previous game’s performance. Numbers don’t lie,” she said. “I didn’t earn the right to start that game, and that’s on me. Accountability isn’t disrespect, and standards aren’t mistreatment.”

In her senior night, she came off the bench and had her moment, playing 13 minutes against Georgia. It was fairly less than that of the other seniors, but Darby quietly knew that her performance in the game prior to the Georgia one against Kentucky wasn’t enough to please Caldwell, as she scored just 1 of 6 from open play in her 15-minute stay.

And as a result, she doesn’t want to push back on Caldwell regarding the latter’s decision not to start her in the senior night game. “I’ve always had and still have a great relationship with Coach Kim and the previous staff,” Darby said. “Love and respect them all, and I’m thankful for the opportunities they gave me.”

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As per Wynn’s statement, not being able to attend the senior night game was one of the reasons for her dissent. On top of that, head coach Caldwell reportedly asked the senior guard to come on with just 15 seconds remaining on the clock, which was even more hurtful, considering it’s her final home game at the arena.

During her time in the program, Wynn never really established herself as a starter for the Lady Vols. Statistically, she played the most in her third year, averaging 13.4 points per game, but in all her other seasons, her minutes column showed averages of less than 10 per game, contrary to Darby, who averaged 20.0 minutes in her collegiate stint. As a result of this inconsistent game time, Wynn’s performance also declined.

In the 52 minutes she played in her senior year, Wynn recorded just 5 points to her name. Thus, for Caldwell, it would have been a tough decision to start Wynn over regular starters like Zee Spearman, Janiah Barker, and Mia Pauldo, especially against a ranked team like Vanderbilt, and given their daunting situation this season.

Yet despite these factors, a player of her experience on the Tennessee bench would be a major positive going into the postseason tournaments. And there’s no doubt that her departure is a major setback for the team’s bench strength.

Kim Caldwell Isn’t Hiding Behind Losing a Senior Player

Having lost 9 of their last 11, Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell is already in the firing line in the last few weeks. On top of that, Kaiya Wynn’s abrupt decision hasn’t landed the program in any different space. The Lady Vols’ head coach shared her two cents on how Wynn’s decision affects her and the program.

“It kind of caught me off guard,” Caldwell said of the decision. “Not that I see other than playing time,” she added further while reflecting on the reason behind the senior guard’s decision.

But Caldwell isn’t getting entirely bogged down by this incident, as she knows that she and her team have a job to do moving forward in the season. “I think we had been resilient all year and we’re just in another situation where we’re going to continue to do that,” Caldwell said.

Entering as the sixth seed after 16-12 and 8-8 in the regular season, the Lady Vols face Alabama next in the SEC tournament. The game is set to tip off on Friday around 8:30 p.m. ET at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Caldwell’s team has handed a defeat to the Crimson Tide early on in the season. But Alabama won’t be a mere pushover, given its better 22-9 and 7-9 records than the Lady Vols.

What are your expectations from Kim Caldwell’s team for this game? Can they make a statement despite Kaiya Wynn’s departure from the program? Do let us know in the comments.