Tag: Pat Summitt

Candace Parker gave an emotional shoutout to Pat Summit after leading the Chicago Sky to the WNBA Finals

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

For the first time since 2014 the Chicago Sky are heading back to the WNBA Finals.

They beat the Connecticut Sun — WNBA’s #1 overall seed — in four games to advance through the semis. Parker, obviously, was a huge part of that run.

Eight months ago we found out Candace Parker was leaving the Los Angeles Sparks — the only team she’d ever played for in the WNBA — for her hometown Chicago Sky.

Eight months later, here she is going to the Finals with her new team.

She was asked about that journey after the game and talked about the ups and the downs the team had been through with injuries all season long.

But she didn’t really get emotional until she started talking about her former coach, Pat Summitt.

The former Tennessee Volunteers coach passed away in 2016. Parker said everything she does on the court is in her honor and visibly got choked up during the postgame interview.

“This team is special. We’ve battled through adversity; we believed in each other. I want to always bring honor to Pat [Summitt]. In these moments, I always remember her.” 

What a moment. Summitt would certainly be proud of Parker in this moment doing what she’s doing for her hometown.

She’s still got another step to take, though. The Finals are waiting. We’ll see how things turn out.

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Tara VanDerveer passes Pat Summitt in all-time victories

Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer surpasses UT’s Pat Summitt for all-time victories.

Women’s college basketball has a new leader in career wins.

Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer passed the legendary Pat Summitt for career victories when her Cardinal basketball team defeated University of Pacific, 104-61, Tuesday in Stockton, California.

The win was the 1,099th of VanDerveer’s career, surpassing Sumitt, who won 1,098 games and eight national championships as head coach of Tennessee.

FILE – Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer, left, and Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt, right, and greet each other before an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., in this Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, file photo. Their mutual respect always showed, and shined. So, when VanDerveer tied the late Hall of Famer as winningest women’s coaches in history with 1,098 victories Sunday night, Dec. 13, 2020, she quickly credited Summitt for helping her get there. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

VanDerveer, who played college basketball at Albany and Indiana, has coached at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford.

She led the Cardinal to national championships in 1990 and 1992.

VanDerveer has made the NCAA Final Four 12 times and won four Big Ten championships. She has won 25 conference championships with the Cardinal.

VanDerveer has been named national coach of the year four times.

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Trey Smith to receive Pat Summitt Ignite Courage Award

Trey Smith to receive Pat Summitt Ignite Courage Award.

KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith will be honored by the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

Smith, a senior for the Volunteers, will receive the Pat Summitt Ignite Greatness Award at the hall’s 39th Annual Induction Ceremony, which is presented by First Horizon and scheduled for July 31.

Smith played high school football at University School of Jackson under current Grace Christian Academy and former Christian Academy of Knoxville head coach Rusty Bradley.

The Tennessee senior was an All-Southeastern Conference standout in 2019.

He missed time during his sophomore year due to blood clots and returned in 2019 to help the Big Orange go 8-5 and win the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Indiana.

The Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame established the award in 2012 and Summitt was the first person to receive the award.

Past winners also include former Tennessee Lady Vol basketball player Tamika Catchings, UT football player Inky Johnson, Farragut High School football coach Eddie Courtney, VFL and Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning and longtime athletic administrator Gus Manning.

A look at Tennessee’s Naismith Hall of Famers

A look at Tennessee’s Naismith Hall of Famers.

KNOXVILLE — When Tamika Catchings was officially selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday, she became the first Lady Vol player to be so honored.

Catchings, a first-ballot hall of famer, however, joins two others with University of Tennessee ties being enshrined in Springfield, Mass.

Her coach, Pat Summitt was inducted in 2000. Sumitt, who died from complications from early-onset dementia in 2016, was a true pioneer and trailblazer for women’s basketball.

Summitt won 1,098 games and eight NCAA Tournament championships. Her teams made the Final Four 18 times, won 16 Southeastern Conference Tournament titles and 16 SEC regular-season championships.

In 2013, men’s basketball player Bernard King was inducted to the hall of fame.

He is one of UT’s most decorated players.

With the Volunteers, King was the SEC Player of the Year three times. He was a three-time All-American and his number (53) is retired by the Vols.

In the NBA, King played for the New Jersey Nets (1977-79, 1993), Utah Jazz (1979-80), Golden State Warriors (1980-82), New York Knicks (1982-87) and Washington Bullets (1987-1991).

He was a four-time NBA All-Star and earned numerous honors throughout his professional career.

Catchings is the Indiana Fever’s general manager and one of the WNBA’s most decorated players. She also played professionally overseas, winning a Polish League Title and two Turkish Cups.

She was a WNBA Rookie of the Year, a league MVP and a WNBA Finals MVP.

Lady Vols all-time versus No. 1-ranked teams

Lady Vols are set to take on No. 1 South Carolina.

COLUMBIA – No. 22 Tennessee (17-4, 7-1 SEC) will play at No. 1 South Carolina (20-1, 8-0 SEC) Sunday.

The Lady Vols and South Carolina will tip-off at 1:02 p.m. ET in Colonial Life Arena. The contest will be televised by ESPN2.

The Lady Vols are 14-34 all-time in games against No. 1-ranked teams. Tennessee is 6-7 in road contests, 2-12 at home and 6-15 at neutral sites versus No. 1-ranked opponents.

Pat Summitt was 14-31 all-time coaching against No. 1-ranked teams, while Holly Warlick was 0-2 and Kellie Harper is 0-1. Harper and the Lady Vols lost to Stanford earlier this season, 78-51, on Dec. 18.

Lady Vols, UConn set to renew rivalry

Lady Vols, UConn set to renew rivalry.

HARTFORD — No. 23 Tennessee (15-3, 5-1 SEC) will play in the Basketball Hall of Fame Revival Series vs. No. 3 UConn (16-1, 7-0 AAC) at XL Arena.

Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN. Adam Amin (PxP), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) will be on the call.

2004 NCAA Women's National Championship: Tennessee v UCONN
NEW ORLEANS – APRIL 6: Head coach Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Vols (L) and head coach Geno Auriemma of the University of Connecticut Huskies meet before the National Championship game of the NCAA Women’s Final Four Tournament at the New Orleans Arena on April 6, 2004 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The contest will be the first between the two schools since 2007 and the 23rd overall in the series. UConn leads the all-time series, 13-9. The Lady Vols have won the last three contests (2005-07).

Both schools have combined to win 19 NCAA national championships (Pat Summitt won eight and UConn’s Geno Auriemma has won 11) and 2,538 games. First-year Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper was 4-1 against UConn as a player for the Lady Vols from 1996-99.