“I’m sure she’s up in heaven with my dad”: Kim Caldwell remembers Pat Summitt and her father after Tennessee beats UConn for the first time since 2007

Kim Caldwell is in her first year coaching Tennessee and has already set a new feat after leading the Volunteers to an 80-76 win over UConn on Thursday at Thompson-Boling Arena. This marks the Lady Vols' first win over the Huskies since 2007 when Pat Summitt was the coach.

Speaking to the press after the game, Caldwell was asked what Summitt's reaction to the win would have been.

"I think she'd be thrilled with the effort and the rebounding. I am sure she is up in heaven with my dad," she said. "They're probably having a cold one celebrating."

Caldwell's father, Scott Stephens, was a well-known basketball coach in high school and college. He died in November 2020 after a two-month battle against a brain tumor. Summitt died in 2016 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011.

Despite Thursday's win, the Huskies are leading against Kim Caldwell's Volunteers with a 17-10 overall record. The two teams have a long history of rivalry, and the 2007 game was the last time Tennessee played against UConn, as Pat Summitt canceled the series. It was revived in 2020, and the Huskies won all four matchups.

Kim Caldwell and Geno Auriemma comment on UConn-Tennessee rivalry

College sports thrive on rivalries between programs, and sometimes fans can take things a little too far. Before Thursday's game, UConn coach Geno Auriemma spoke about the long-standing acrimony between his team and Tennessee.

"It became something that wasn't normal," he said. "It just became stupid and became something I didn't want to be a part of anymore. I think our fans are stupid.

"I think their fans are stupid, and how they reacted to the whole thing, it just became something other than a basketball game, and after a while that just got old."

Kim Caldwell, who went to UT Martin, had a different perspective on the whole issue, as she said:

"My biggest memory [of the series] would be just how it took over your whole week of when that game was on the schedule, and you would talk about it at school, and you would talk about it at practice, and you would just be looking forward to it, and then you would watch it, and you would record it, and it was just such a big deal.

"And I think that that is something that was great for women's basketball, and it's very humbling to now be a part of it."

The win is an important one for Tennessee, who are set to embark on a tough conference play. Kim Caldwell's team is not doing too well against SEC opponents as it has a 4-5 record, 17-5 overall. For the Huskies, this gives them a chance to reinforce their foundation as they prepare for tougher games, including one against No. 2 South Carolina on Feb. 16.