Former Tennessee Lady Volunteers guard Tess Darby has reacted to the ongoing fiasco involving coach Kim Caldwell and senior Kaiya Wynn, as she sided with the former. On Wednesday, March 4, Darby went over her X/Twitter account to share a public statement on the senior day matter between Caldwell and Wynn, with the latter recently leaving the program abruptly, despite a few games remaining.
Darby argued that to earn starters’ minutes under Caldwell, one must work hard. According to Darby, becoming a starter for Caldwell is based on a player’s most recent performance. Darby pledged her allegiance to Caldwell, while putting Wynn in the wrong, since Darby had nothing but gratitude for what Caldwell and her program did for her.
“I usually don’t comment on things like this, but with my name being mentioned, I want to clear the air. I was a fifth-year and had two Senior Days and didn’t start either one under TWO DIFFERENT coaching staffs. In Coach Kim’s system, starting is earned off the previous game’s performance. Numbers don’t lie. I didn’t earn the right to start that game, and that’s on me. Accountability isn’t disrespect, and standards aren’t mistreatment,” Darby said.
“I’ve always had and still have a great relationship with Coach Kim and the previous staff. Love and respect them all, and I’m thankful for the opportunities they gave me,” she continued.
Wynn, as previously mentioned, made headlines when she announced on social media that she is leaving the Tennessee-based program at a time when her team is ramping up for postseason play. This announcement came after Wynn was snubbed as a starter by Caldwell in Tennessee’s final regular-season home game, which was also when the team celebrated its graduating players, including Wynn.
Tess Darby Accepted That She Will Not Be A Starter In Her Final Home Game
As pointed out by Tess Darby in her public statement, she had no problems with not being a starter in the final home game of her college basketball career, purely because she felt that she had not earned the right to do so.
The game was played in March of last year, when the Tennessee Lady Volunteers faced the Georgia Bulldogs. In that game, Darby logged in 13 minutes and tallied three points and three rebounds.
Also Read: Tennessee HC Kim Caldwell Faces Fans’ Wrath For Benching Kaiya Wynn After Senior Day Loss To Vanderbilt
Read More: HC Kim Caldwell Drops Scathing Remark on Tennessee Star Janiah Barker Ahead of Showdown vs Oklahoma
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