The losses are stacking up, and a March Madness ceiling that was a given mandate at the start of the season keeps shrinking for Tennessee. Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols conceded yet another defeat, this time to the Ole Miss Rebels (94-81) on the road. However, it wasn’t just the defeat that generated buzz from the game; it was a Caldwell postgame moment that sparked tensions and drew a reaction from Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

The situation unfolded on the sidelines immediately after the final buzzer. As both coaches approached the post-game formalities, Caldwell quickly rushed past Ole Miss head coach McPhee-McCuin, offering a brief, cold handshake. The Rebels’ head coach reacted with composure, laughing out at the spot. An Ole Miss fan page on X shared a glimpse of this moment, which is going viral and has gained over 200k views.

Additionally, when asked about this instance at the post-game press conference, McPhee-McCuin tried her best to defend her SEC counterpart, remarking that Caldwell might be in a rush or the pressure of the moment might have gotten to her.

“I think she was probably just really ready to go,” the Ole Miss head coach said. “I like Kim, and I don’t take stuff like that personally. Emotions run high, and we’re competitive. She’s at Tennessee, and there’s a lot of history behind that place. Maybe she was in a rush, or maybe she was upset. I respect both of them. For me, I’m just glad we got the win.”

McPhee-McCuin’s assessment was precise: she isn’t holding onto Caldwell’s gesture on the sidelines. It’s quite clear that she understands the kind of pressure a high-profile head-coaching job for the Lady Vols brings to an individual, but for her, it’s the W on the board that matters.

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Caldwell’s frustration wasn’t unjustified, though, as the Lady Vols’ fragile performance was quite prevalent in the Ole Miss game. The team was severely marginalized in open play, allowing the Rebels to shoot 53%. On the contrary, Tennessee settled for just 43%. Caldwell’s team did get the better of Ole Miss in shooting from deep, but with struggles with ball security and on the boards at times, their performance against a top-ranked team was immensely plagued.

Talaysia Cooper did provide some resistance with 30 points in the game. However, the frequent fouls that the Lady Vols gave away sent the Rebels to the free-throw line 36 times. McPhee-McCuin’s team capitalized on them perfectly, scoring 29, and eventually, these unguarded points from the line hurt Tennessee even harder in a top-tier SEC game.

“Coming into the game, we talked about guarding in the paint and eliminating our fouls, and we didn’t do that tonight. It really hurt us,” Caldwell said while highlighting these persistent issues with committing fouls that have led to a disappointingly high average of 18.6 fouls per game this season.

Kim Caldwell’s team falls to 16-8 overall and 8-4 in conference play. And as March Madness approaches, the Lady Vols’ head coach will have to urgently address the team’s shortcomings.

Kim Caldwell Emphasizes the Need to Regroup Her Team Following the Ole Miss Loss

Amid her frustration with the defeat that was prevalent in her post-game moment with Yolett McPhee-McCuin and in the press conference, Kim Caldwell presented a brief on what should be the way forward for her team in the season.

“I mean, we have one more at the end of the stretch, and then we’ll have a day off after,” Caldwell said. “So, we have to regroup again, and we’re knocking these out here. So, just got to take what we need from this one and get ready to your next.”

However, the Tennessee head coach remained optimistic despite the loss, finding a glimmer of hope in the unity that her team showed in the Ole Miss game. “I feel like we gave the same effort. We played through the hard stretches. I feel like we played as hard as we could,” the Lady Vols head coach added in the post-game conference.

The Lady Vols currently take the 21st spot in the AP rankings, their March Madness hopes are hanging by a thread.

While their upcoming game against unranked Texas A&M can be a soft spot, three ranked teams follow suit. No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 7 LSU, and No. 5 Vanderbilt are three consecutive teams that Caldwell’s team will face in the upcoming weeks. And guess what the reason for their downfall in this season is? Yes, it’s their performance against ranked teams. Seven of their eight defeats have come against ranked teams.

Thus, to keep their contention alive for the National Championships, the team will have to endure far more than trial by fire. For now, the Aggies’ game on February 19 is their immediate concern. They will look to bounce back, starting with this game. What do you think of Tennessee’s chances for March Madness? Do let us know in the comments.