Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Kim Caldwell had a scathing remark for her forward, Janiah Barker, who was not present in their latest regular-season game. On Sunday, Feb. 22, Caldwell and the rest of her Lady Volunteers lost 93-100 to coach Jennie Baranczyk’s Oklahoma Sooners at the latter’s home arena, the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Barker did not suit up for her team, despite coming off one of her best games in the ongoing campaign. It was revealed during the game that Barker did not travel with the team because she did not meet program expectations.
When asked about it during her post-game presser, Caldwell said (via Talia Goodman’s X/Twitter):
“Yeah, no, she didn’t meet team standards, didn’t make the trip. We’ll fix it when we get back. She’s got a bright future, and she’ll be fine,” Caldwell shared.
Unfortunately for Caldwell and company, it seems that they may have needed Barker, as the Lady Volunteers lost to the Oklahoma-based program by just seven points, 100-93, in away territory. Tennessee is now on a four-game losing streak, and its current overall record falls to 16-10 (8-6 SEC). They drop down to the No. 6 seed in the 2026 SEC standings.
Kim Caldwell Shared What Kind Of Mindset Her Team Will Have After A Tough Loss
During her press conference following the loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, Kim Caldwell was asked how her team would respond after such a tight defeat and what the players’ mindset would be moving forward.
For coach Caldwell, it’s what playing in an intense conference such as the SEC is all about, meaning there will be times when her team will play well and times when it won’t.
“Yeah, it’s, that’s the SEC, isn’t it? You’re going to have patches where you look really good. You’re going to have patches where you have a tough stretch. We’ve had an incredibly tough stretch. I think you just be honest with your team, and they can handle it or not. Sometimes, the honesty is not good, and sometimes, the honesty is good. And tonight, honestly, our team was fun to coach,” Caldwell said (1:00).
“We definitely made some basketball errors, but the people who were on the floor played hard. They played together. Not a good third quarter for us, but again, we can make some adjustments from today’s game moving forward and be okay,” she concluded.
Read More: Dawn Staley Presents Opposing View After Kim Caldwell Throws Tennessee Team Under the Bus
Also Read: Kim Caldwell Speaks From the Heart About Mia Pauldo Amid Tennessee’s Undefeated SEC Run
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
