Since Claude's been doing yeoman work on stats, I gave it this week's scouting report. I like the result, but check it. The first draft had Mia still out with a concussion. (And, yes, I anthropomorphize AIs. Or, more precisely, I think of them as alien intelligences. Or junior interns. Pretty much the same.)
SCOUTING REPORT: #21 TENNESSEE AT #11 OKLAHOMA
Sunday, February 22, 2026 | 2:00 PM ET | Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK | ESPN
THE SITUATION
Let's not sugarcoat it. The Lady Vols just dropped their third straight game β to #4 Texas (65-63), #17 Ole Miss (94-81), and a gut-punch 82-74 home loss to a .500 Texas A&M team as 21-point favorites. Tennessee is now 16-9 overall, 8-5 in SEC play, and sitting 6th in the conference standings with the tournament looming.
Now they walk into Norman, Oklahoma, to face the 11th-ranked Sooners β who just won three straight ranked games themselves β on the road, with freshman PG Mia Pauldo still recovering from a concussion. This is as close to a must-win as it gets before the SEC Tournament. A fourth consecutive loss would be a serious blow to seeding and could send the fan base (and the coaching staff) into full-alarm mode.
Kim Caldwell herself said after the South Carolina debacle that she has "a team that'll just quit on you." Sunday is the moment to prove her wrong.
MEET YOUR OPPONENT: OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Record: 20-6 overall, 8-5 SEC | Rank: #11 AP | Streak: W3
Home Record: 12-2 | Scoring Offense: 87.3 PPG (4th nationally)
Pace: 1st nationally | Defensive Rating: 8th nationally
Don't let the 8-5 conference record fool you β Oklahoma is a legitimate tournament threat. The Sooners have beaten #2 South Carolina, #23 Alabama, #24 Georgia, and #6 LSU this season. They're on a three-game win streak, all against ranked opponents on the road, and they're 17-0 this season when leading at halftime. This is not the same OU squad that bounced around the Big 12 bubble for years. Jennie Baranczyk has built something real in Norman.
KNOW THE ENEMY: KEY PLAYERS
THE COACH: JENNIE BARANCZYK
In her fifth year at Oklahoma, Baranczyk has led the program to five consecutive 20-win seasons β the second-longest such stretch in program history. Last season, OU went 27-8 and reached the Sweet Sixteen before losing to eventual national champion UConn. She runs a modern, uptempo, space-and-attack offense that mirrors (and possibly one-ups) Tennessee's own pace-driven identity. The Sooners were tabbed #16 in the NCAA Selection Committee's first Top 16 reveal and want nothing more than a home first-round game. A ranked win on Sunday over a blue-blood program like Tennessee would be a major statement.
Baranczyk doesn't panic. She coaches patiently, adjusts well, and has outcoached a number of bigger names this season. Don't expect Lloyd Noble Center to be a cozy neutral site.
INJURY REPORT
WHAT THIS GAME MEANS
For Tennessee: Everything. Four straight losses would be a collapse. The Lady Vols are 6th in the SEC and trending in the wrong direction. With back-to-back road games coming (Oklahoma, then #7 LSU), Sunday is the moment to find out if this team has any fight left. A ranked road win stops the bleeding, rescues the SEC Tournament seeding, and sends a message that Kim Caldwell's team is still dangerous. They need it badly.
For Oklahoma: The Sooners want to HOST in the NCAA Tournament. They're ranked #16 on the selection committee's Top 16 β right on the bubble for a home game. Beating a storied program like Tennessee β even a struggling one β would be a massive resume bullet. Lloyd Noble Center is 12-2 this season and this crowd will be electric. The Sooners have everything to play for.
KEYS TO A LADY VOL WIN
FAN SENTIMENT CHECK
VolNation is not happy, and rightfully so. Three straight losses, including an embarrassing home collapse to a .500 A&M squad, have the fanbase asking hard questions. Caldwell's own midseason quote about a team that "quits on you" has lingered. The defensive breakdowns, the third-quarter disappearing acts, and the Mia Pauldo concussion at the worst possible time have all converged into a genuinely stressful February stretch.
Here's the thing though: this team is still one of the most talented in the SEC. They pushed #4 Texas to 65-63 in Knoxville. Talaysia Cooper is a nightmare matchup for anyone in the country. Janiah Barker just found another gear. If the Lady Vols go into Norman focused, locked in, and play with the identity CKC has built β aggressive, fast, physical β this is absolutely a winnable game.
The alternative is four straight losses with LSU next on the docket. That's not the season anyone signed up for.
Go Vols. Time to show up.
SCOUTING REPORT: #21 TENNESSEE AT #11 OKLAHOMASunday, February 22, 2026 | 2:00 PM ET | Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK | ESPN
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
THE SITUATION
Let's not sugarcoat it. The Lady Vols just dropped their third straight game β to #4 Texas (65-63), #17 Ole Miss (94-81), and a gut-punch 82-74 home loss to a .500 Texas A&M team as 21-point favorites. Tennessee is now 16-9 overall, 8-5 in SEC play, and sitting 6th in the conference standings with the tournament looming.
Now they walk into Norman, Oklahoma, to face the 11th-ranked Sooners β who just won three straight ranked games themselves β on the road, with freshman PG Mia Pauldo still recovering from a concussion. This is as close to a must-win as it gets before the SEC Tournament. A fourth consecutive loss would be a serious blow to seeding and could send the fan base (and the coaching staff) into full-alarm mode.
Kim Caldwell herself said after the South Carolina debacle that she has "a team that'll just quit on you." Sunday is the moment to prove her wrong.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
MEET YOUR OPPONENT: OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Record: 20-6 overall, 8-5 SEC | Rank: #11 AP | Streak: W3
Home Record: 12-2 | Scoring Offense: 87.3 PPG (4th nationally)
Pace: 1st nationally | Defensive Rating: 8th nationally
Don't let the 8-5 conference record fool you β Oklahoma is a legitimate tournament threat. The Sooners have beaten #2 South Carolina, #23 Alabama, #24 Georgia, and #6 LSU this season. They're on a three-game win streak, all against ranked opponents on the road, and they're 17-0 this season when leading at halftime. This is not the same OU squad that bounced around the Big 12 bubble for years. Jennie Baranczyk has built something real in Norman.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
KNOW THE ENEMY: KEY PLAYERS
| Player | Position | Stats | The Scouting Note |
| Aaliyah Chavez | G β True Freshman | ~14.9 PPG (season avg), 27 pts vs Georgia Thursday | The most dangerous freshman in the SEC β and it's not close. Six 25-point games this season, more than all other SEC freshmen COMBINED. Improved to 14-0 when she leads the team in assists. She goes on runs, she takes over games, and she plays fearlessly. She is Oklahoma's X-factor and must be accounted for at all times. |
| Raegan Beers | C β Senior | ~14-18 PPG, 15 double-doubles (leads the nation) | The best post player Tennessee will see before the tournament. Beers leads all active college players with 60 career double-doubles and is on pace to shatter program records. She is the engine of OU's second-chance points machine (2nd nationally). If Beers gets easy buckets in the paint, the Vols are in serious trouble. Containing her is priority #1 in the paint. |
| Payton Verhulst | G β Redshirt Senior | 14.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.9 APG | β INJURY NOTE: Verhulst suffered an ankle injury vs Alabama on Feb. 15, left assisted but gutted out 17 points and returned in the 4th quarter. As of Wednesday's practice she was limited β Coach Baranczyk said the adrenaline phase was over and noted the team would need to compensate. Her status for Sunday is uncertain. If she's limited or absent, Oklahoma's offensive firepower takes a real dip. Watch for her pre-game warmup. |
| Sahara Williams | G/F β Junior | Double-double vs South Carolina (12 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) | OU is 5-0 this season when Williams posts a double-double. A versatile, high-effort player who cleans the glass and makes plays at both ends. The kind of player who wins games quietly. |
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
THE COACH: JENNIE BARANCZYK
In her fifth year at Oklahoma, Baranczyk has led the program to five consecutive 20-win seasons β the second-longest such stretch in program history. Last season, OU went 27-8 and reached the Sweet Sixteen before losing to eventual national champion UConn. She runs a modern, uptempo, space-and-attack offense that mirrors (and possibly one-ups) Tennessee's own pace-driven identity. The Sooners were tabbed #16 in the NCAA Selection Committee's first Top 16 reveal and want nothing more than a home first-round game. A ranked win on Sunday over a blue-blood program like Tennessee would be a major statement.
Baranczyk doesn't panic. She coaches patiently, adjusts well, and has outcoached a number of bigger names this season. Don't expect Lloyd Noble Center to be a cozy neutral site.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
INJURY REPORT
| Player | Team | Injury | Status |
| Mia Pauldo | Tennessee | Concussion (suffered vs South Carolina Feb 8) | LIMITED β returning from injury | Missed three straight games (Missouri, Texas, Ole Miss). Returned vs Texas A&M but played only 19 minutes with 0 points (3 ast, 2 reb, 1 stl, +6). Her normal workload is much heavier β she averaged 11.6 PPG and 14.4 PPG in SEC play before the injury. She's trending in the right direction but may still be on a minutes restriction Sunday. |
| Payton Verhulst | Oklahoma | Ankle (Feb 15 vs Alabama) | QUESTIONABLE | Suffered the injury vs Alabama (Sun. Feb 15), gutted out 17 points after returning in the 4th quarter. Limited in practice Wednesday. Status unclear for Sunday. A limited Verhulst changes Oklahoma's offensive ceiling. |
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
WHAT THIS GAME MEANS
For Tennessee: Everything. Four straight losses would be a collapse. The Lady Vols are 6th in the SEC and trending in the wrong direction. With back-to-back road games coming (Oklahoma, then #7 LSU), Sunday is the moment to find out if this team has any fight left. A ranked road win stops the bleeding, rescues the SEC Tournament seeding, and sends a message that Kim Caldwell's team is still dangerous. They need it badly.
For Oklahoma: The Sooners want to HOST in the NCAA Tournament. They're ranked #16 on the selection committee's Top 16 β right on the bubble for a home game. Beating a storied program like Tennessee β even a struggling one β would be a massive resume bullet. Lloyd Noble Center is 12-2 this season and this crowd will be electric. The Sooners have everything to play for.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
KEYS TO A LADY VOL WIN
- Win the third quarter. Tennessee has been outscored in the third quarter in nearly every recent loss. Against Texas A&M the Vols were outscored 22-9 in Q3 alone. At some point, the adjustments have to stick at halftime.
- Contain Raegan Beers. If Beers gets into a rhythm in the post, Tennessee will spend the night fouling or giving up layups. She can't have 18+ points and 14 rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting like she did vs South Carolina.
- Lock in on Aaliyah Chavez. Don't give her a rhythm. Don't let her get hot. The freshman isn't rattled easily, but Tennessee's length on the perimeter (Cooper, Barker) should be used aggressively.
- Take care of the ball. Tennessee coughed up 16 turnovers vs Texas A&M. Oklahoma ranks 4th nationally in fast-break points β they will run with every live-ball turnover. Clean possessions are non-negotiable.
- Janiah Barker has to show up again. She scored a career-high 29 vs A&M on 9-of-13 shooting. If she's attacking, finishing, and knocking down threes, UT's offense functions. She's too good not to have a major role every night.
- Pray Verhulst stays limited. A gimpy Verhulst is a real break for Tennessee. Don't overlook it.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
FAN SENTIMENT CHECK
VolNation is not happy, and rightfully so. Three straight losses, including an embarrassing home collapse to a .500 A&M squad, have the fanbase asking hard questions. Caldwell's own midseason quote about a team that "quits on you" has lingered. The defensive breakdowns, the third-quarter disappearing acts, and the Mia Pauldo concussion at the worst possible time have all converged into a genuinely stressful February stretch.
Here's the thing though: this team is still one of the most talented in the SEC. They pushed #4 Texas to 65-63 in Knoxville. Talaysia Cooper is a nightmare matchup for anyone in the country. Janiah Barker just found another gear. If the Lady Vols go into Norman focused, locked in, and play with the identity CKC has built β aggressive, fast, physical β this is absolutely a winnable game.
The alternative is four straight losses with LSU next on the docket. That's not the season anyone signed up for.
Go Vols. Time to show up.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
All statistics and records current as of Feb. 20, 2026. Sources: UT Athletics, OU Athletics, ESPN, Sports-Reference, Rocky Top Insider, WATE.
