Tyler Summitt making his mark at Marquette

Tyler Summitt grew up with a basketball, celebrating championships, and meeting presidents.

As the son of the legendary Pat Summitt, Tyler grew up in front of thousands and thousands of orange-crazed fans.

If you could see the younger Summitt today, you'd see that he's all grown up.

"That's not loud enough! There's 4,000 people in those stands," Summitt barked out to his players during a practice, reinforcing the need for his team to communicate better.

Now 22 years old, Summitt is in his first college coaching job. He accepted a position at Marquette University in April.

It's a completely new life for Summitt, one he's still adjusting too.

"It's different not to have orange on," Summitt said.

The toughest part?

Summitt says, it's being so far away from the two women most important to him: his legendary mom and his fiance, whom he proposed to in September.

What's not so tough, Summitt says, is worrying about those who feel he landed a division one position because of the famous last name.

"It doesn't matter what I do in my career. I could be 70 years old and still coaching and people will say, 'Oh, he's just being successful because of his last name.' There's gonna be critics. My mom always told me to just have a thick skin. And if I'm confident it doesn't matter what the critics say."

Terri Mitchell is the head coach at Marquette. Tyler believes she had no intentions of hiring of him, that she simply called him as a courtesy to Pat Summitt.

But once Tyler was on the phone, landing the job was a slam dunk.

"He has said many things to me, but this one thing has stood out," Mitchell said.

"He said, 'there's only one environment I know. It's a championship environment and I will bring that to practice and to work and to games every single day.' He has absolutely delivered on that promise."

Mitchell has been the head coach at Marquette for 17 years. She knows the importance of surrounding herself with capable assistants. With Summitt, she recognized a unique quality.

"He may be young in years, but he is not young in his thought process," she continued. "He is not young in being a coach. His mom is the greatest living basketball coach ever, and he embraced that."

Leaving home is never easy. Now, imagine you're 21 years old and offered a job 640 miles away from home. A job ten hours from your mom. A mom that's battling a horrible disease. This was the decision facing Summitt. As it turns out, the young coach says it wasn't a difficult one to make.

"If my mom was struggling in her health and going downhill, I wouldn't have left. But she's not," Summitt said with a smile.

"Anybody that's seen her lately knows that she's fine. Nothing is getting worse. She has a great support circle in Knoxville. I felt comfortable going away."

And now at Marquette, Summitt is making his presence felt, and doing so with a coaching style that resembles his famous mom's. One filled with passion, intensity, and in constant pursuit of perfection.

"He's very demanding," Marquette freshman guard Brooklyn Pumroy said.

"He knows what it takes. He focuses on the little things."

And if you don't focus on the little things, then don't expect to find yourself on his court. Summitt will routinely snap "get off!" when a player doesn't show effort or focus during a drill.

"If you don't hold them accountable, nothing else matters," Summitt said.

"I'm not here to be their friend. I told them that. I said, 'there's 11,000 students at Marquette that can be your friend. I'm not your friend. I'm your coach.' I'm here to make them better."

And he's here making his first step.

Another women's basketball season has tipped off, and for a 39th straight year, a Summitt takes to the court.

Graves Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Freshman of the Week
Bashaara Graves • Tennessee
Forward/Center • Clarksville, Tenn.

• Through two games, Graves leads Tennessee in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (10.0), averaging a double-double.
• Getting her first career start on the road at Georgia Tech on Sunday, Graves helped UT topple the #22/20 Yellow Jackets, 71-54, as GT played its first-ever game in McCamish Pavilion.
• Became the 20th freshman in Lady Vol history to record a double-double, producing team-leading and career-high totals of 18 points and 12 rebounds (seven of them offensive) in 27 minutes as Tennessee improved to 1-1 on the season.
• Her early play was key to UT getting off to a good start, as she had totaled 14 points and eight boards in 16 first-half minutes, hitting seven of 12 shots from the field.
• Graves also added four steals and helped the Big Orange employ an effective 2-3 zone that led to a 45-30 halftime lead and 24-point second-half advantage over a program that went to the Sweet 16 last season.
• In her college debut, Graves came off the bench to finish with 14 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes of play in the loss to Chattanooga on Friday night.

No. 20 Lady Vols defeat No. 22 Georgia Tech 71-54

Bashaara Graves scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Sunday, and fellow Tennessee forward Cierra Burdick added 16 points as the No. 20 Lady Volunteers beat No. 22 Georgia Tech 71-54 to spoil the Yellow Jackets' debut in McCamish Pavilion.

The Yellow Jackets (0-1) trailed 45-30 at halftime before starting the second half with a 13-0 run. The Lady Vols (1-1) bettered that with an 18-0 knockout streak to even their record in their second game since legendary coach Pat Summitt stepped down.

Junior Tyaunna Marshall scored 18 and Dawnn Maye added 12 for Georgia Tech in its new on-campus arena.

The second game of the post-Summitt era went a lot better for Tennessee than the first.

Tennessee lost 80-71 Friday at Chattanooga after the Mocs broke a halftime tie with a 52-point second half in which they shot 56.3 percent. The Lady Vols had 26 turnovers and just six assists in that game.

Sunday, the Lady Vols had 17 of each, and it was the Yellow Jackets who were loose with the ball in their first game. Tech had 20 turnovers and just eight assists.

Summitt, who announced last year that she has early-onset dementia before stepping down in April, sat five rows behind the Tennessee bench at the game with Chattanooga, but was not at Georgia Tech.

Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick, who played for Summitt and then was an assistant for her for 27 seasons, said after the Chattanooga game that her inexperienced team did not yet appreciate the importance of playing earnest defense.

Without a starter back from the team that lost an NCAA regional final to eventual national champion Baylor last spring, Tennessee defended more passionately at Georgia Tech.

The Lady Vols also dominated the paint in the first half. They led 45-30 at intermission on the strength of 15 points by Burdick and 14 points and eight rebounds from Graves.

Georgia Tech starting power forward Danielle Hamilton-Carter and starting center Nariah Taylor, meanwhile, were each scoreless in the first half without attempting a shot.

The Yellow Jackets, however, rallied furiously at the start of the second half. Marshall got to the rim for seven points during their 13-0 run, and Maye's layup with 15:25 remaining pulled Georgia Tech within 45-43.

Then, the Lady Vols snapped back to life.

A jumper by Jasmine Jones ended Tennessee's scoreless streak a minute later and started an 18-0 run for the visitors.

When Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph called for a timeout with 9 minutes left, the Lady Vols led 60-43 after Ariel Massengale's layup off of Tennessee's ninth steal of the game.

The Yellow Jackets to that point had seen Marshall, Maye and Wallace - two returning starters and a sophomore who become a starter late last season and then made 19 3-point shots in Tech's three NCAA tournament games - take 40 of their team's first 51 shots and score 38 of the first 43 points.

When Hamilton-Carter scored from point-blank range with 6:46 left in the game, that ended a scoreless streak of 8:38, but the Jackets trailed 63-45.

Lady Vols start with a loss, ready for Georgia Tech

Stunned No. 20 Lady Vols need to regroup quickly

Chattanooga 80, No. 20 Lady Vols 71

Tennessee's first game of the post-Pat Summitt era revealed in stunning fashion just how much has changed for one of the signature programs in women's college basketball.

Taylor Hall scored 24 points Friday as Chattanooga stunned No. 20 Tennessee 80-71 in the Lady Vols' first game under new coach Holly Warlick, who spent the last 27 seasons as an assistant on Summitt's staff. Chattanooga never trailed in the second half and beat a ranked opponent for the first time ever.

By the end of the game, a McKenzie Arena crowd of 8,468 that had seemed equally divided at the start of the night was gleefully chanting "UTC!" Several dozen fans stormed the court afterward to celebrate with the Lady Mocs.

Summitt, who announced last year she had early-onset dementia, stepped down in April after collecting 1,098 wins, eight national titles and 18 Final Four appearances in 38 seasons. She was succeeded by Warlick, a former three-time All-America guard for Tennessee who was the first athlete at the school to have her number retired.

Summitt remains on staff as head coach emeritus and attends most of Tennessee's practices. She watched Friday's game from the fifth row in a narrow section behind and to the right of Tennessee's bench. Summitt was approached for dozens of photographs and autographs by fans of both teams before the opening tip.

Warlick stood in front of the bench throughout the night with her arms folded or her hands on her hips.

The head coaching switch isn't the only change surrounding Tennessee this season. The Lady Vols don't return a single player who started an NCAA tournament game during their run to a regional final last season. Tennessee's roster includes four freshmen, four sophomores and only one junior and two seniors. Tennessee's No. 20 preseason ranking is its lowest position in the Top 25 since February 1985.

All those Tennessee underclassmen had plenty of jitters Friday.

Tennessee needed Ariel Massengale to sink a 25-footer at the buzzer just to force a 28-28 halftime tie with Chattanooga, a team that lost 90-47 to the Lady Vols last season. Chattanooga pulled ahead by making six of its first seven shots - including a trio of 3-pointers - in the second half. Chattanooga built on that lead by outhustling the Lady Vols.

In one sequence, Taylor Hall got a putback and drew a foul to give Chattanooga a 45-39 lead. Hall missed the ensuing free throw, but 5-foot-9 guard Kayla Christopher got the rebound and made a 3-pointer to extend the Lady Mocs' advantage to 48-39.

The Lady Vols turned the ball over five times in the first three minutes. They missed seven of their first eight shots. Tennessee settled down and went on a 16-2 run to take a nine-point lead late in the first half, but Chattanooga answered by reeling off 13 straight points to regain the lead. The Lady Mocs never let up in the second half.

Hall was the best player on the floor all night long. At one point in the first half, Hall was 4-of-4 from the floor while her teammates were a combined 1-of-15. Once Hall started getting more help from her teammates, Chattanooga took the lead and never looked back.

This wasn't the first time the Lady Vols struggled to leave Chattanooga with a victory. When the Lady Vols last played Chattanooga at McKenzie Arena four years ago, they also had a freshman-laden team and trailed late in the second half before squeaking out a 66-63 victory.

This time, Chattanooga closed the deal.

Lady Vols off to a humbling start

Chattanooga shocks Lady Vols, 80-71

Warlick wants Lady Vols to maintain fast-paced game

After watching her team get dismantled by Tennessee in an exhibition game last Sunday, Coker women’s basketball coach Jenny Finora was asked to compare the Lady Vols under legendary Pat Summitt to their latest incarnation led by long-time Summitt assistant Holly Warlick.

Finora had to laugh.

“Just like Tennessee,” she said. “They're always good. They're long. They're athletic, quick, aggressive. That's Tennessee basketball. It's always been that way, and it's never going to waver at all from that."

Chattanooga coach Wes Moore would concur. His team plays host to the Lady Vols on Friday night in a game that, because it will be the first without Summit on the bench in nearly 40 years, has taken on historic proportions.

Summit’s absence notwithstanding, Moore says, it will be business as usual for Tennessee.

"There’s no doubt they’re going to miss a Pat Summitt, but Holly played for her, she’s been an assistant for 20-something (27) years,” Moore said. “They’re still going to have the same Tennessee tradition, and the way they play and the style they play isn’t going to change."

“I think Holly is very deserving, and I think the way they handled the whole deal — keeping Pat involved in the program (as head coach emeritus) — I think they handled it very well.”

The way Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart saw it, there was no other way to handle replacing Summitt, who was forced from coaching by early onset Alzheimer’s disease. That stunning news was revealed before last season began. Warlick, always a vital cog in Summitt’s program, became even more indispensable to her old friend and mentor as she began making the adjustments required to confront her condition and get through the season.

“Pat and I talked regularly as the season went along about a lot of things,” Hart said last April, when Warlick officially took over the program. “There was a time late in the season when she said to me, ‘Dave, if I made the decision, and I haven't made the decision yet, but if I made the decision not to coach next year, have you given any thought to who will follow?' And I said, ‘I have, Pat. I am giving very serious consideration to Holly.’ And she said, ‘that would excite me.’ ”

Suffice it to say Warlick was excited, too.

“I love the opportunity to follow Pat Summit,” Warlick said at the Southeastern Conference media day last month. “I’ve been associated with her, I’ve played for her and I’ve worked for her. It’s a great opportunity for me. It’s a challenge, absolutely. I’m blessed to have this opportunity. I still have Pat Summit by my side. Don’t forget that. I think it’s a perfect situation for me. It’s all I know, and it’s all that I am going to continue to do.”

Though the Lady Vols’ two exhibition games were against overmatched opponents, they did offer a glimpse of things to come. Against Carson-Newman and Coker, the Lady Vols averaged 111 points, 58 percent shooting from the field and an off-the-charts 19.5 steals. Tennessee made only seven 3-pointers combined, making those point totals (104, 118) all the more impressive.

Obviously, the Lady Vols are going to try and dictate tempo by getting in passing lanes, harassing opponents with their length and turning games into track meets.

“I think there was only one other time that I have played a game that fast—it was with USA basketball my 17 and under year against Japan,” said sophomore forward Cierra Burdick after the Coker game. “All we did was run. It got to the point that I was so tired that I looked over and said to (point guard) Ariel (Massengale) can we please slow down, let me get to half court before we shoot another layup because it was that fast.

“This game was extremely high tempo, but that is what Holly wants. She wants us to get skills and just run. Everything needs to be in transition."

"That's our goal,” Warlick said. “We want to try to score in transition. Now, we've got to continue to get in shape and stay in shape. I don't think we're quite there yet, but we're getting there. But I think this group loves to play up-tempo. I want to try to take advantage of that."

If that sounds like a certain head coach emeritus, well, that’s no surprise. Summitt was always a student of the game, first and foremost. Nearly 20 years ago, Summitt realized she was able to recruit a different caliber of player, with more athleticism, more length, more stamina. And she turned the Lady Vols loose. Four of her eight national championships followed.

Warlick was at Summit’s side the entire way, earning an advanced degree in the art of coaching from the best in the history of the women’s game. It’s little wonder Warlick didn’t want to leave to take over her own program. Her place was at Tennessee, just as it was for Summitt.

"People have asked me, ‘why have you not left?” Warlick said last April. “And I said, ‘why would I?' Why would I leave a place that is rich in tradition, has an unbelievable administration that has always supported women's basketball and women's sports, and has the most incredibly supportive fans in the country? It didn't take me being a genius to stay here and love what I do. I do love this program, and I'm proud of this team.”

West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Honors Pat Summitt with Tigrett Award

Collegiate Sports Legend and Head Coach Emeritus of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers Pat Head Summitt is being honored with the Tigrett Award at the 23rd Annual West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation’s Charity Gala on Saturday, November 10, 2012.

The Tigrett Award, first given in 2006, was established to honor Jackson native, John Burton Tigrett. Tigrett was well known for his world renowned entrepreneurship and philanthropy. The Tigrett Award was endowed by Fred Smith of FedEx and serves to recognize a Tennessean who has greatly contributed to society through his/her talents and leadership locally, nationally, and abroad.

A consummate taskmaster, she has kept her elite program in the winner’s circle for almost four decades, producing a mind-boggling record of 1,098-208 (.840). During her tenure, the Lady Vols have won eight NCAA titles, as well as an amazing 32 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships. Tennessee has made an unprecedented 31 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and produced 12 Olympians, 20 Kodak All-Americans named to 34 teams, and 77 All-SEC performers. Along with the success on the court, Summitt’s student-athletes have tremendous productivity in the classroom. Coach Summitt has a 100 percent graduation rate for all Lady Vols who have completed their eligibility at Tennessee.

Her honors and achievements over the years number in the hundreds. The Sporting News named the 50 Greatest Coaches of All-Time. Summitt was voted the 11th best of all-time and was the only woman on the list. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June of 1999, into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in October of 2000, and was the third member of the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame in June of 2011.

More recently, the United States Sports Academy awarded Summitt its 2011 Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award. Also in October of last year, The Huffington Post named Summitt a 2011 Game Changer–an innovator, leader, and role model who is changing the way we look at the world and the way we live in it. The Tennessee Communication Association selected Summitt for its most prestigious award, Communicator of the Year.

A consummate taskmaster, she has kept her elite program in the winner’s circle for almost four decades, producing a mind-boggling record of 1,098-208 (.840). During her tenure, the Lady Vols have won eight NCAA titles, as well as an amazing 32 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships. Tennessee has made an unprecedented 31 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and produced 12 Olympians, 20 Kodak All-Americans named to 34 teams, and 77 All-SEC performers. Along with the success on the court, Summitt’s student-athletes have tremendous productivity in the classroom. Coach Summitt has a 100 percent graduation rate for all Lady Vols who have completed their eligibility at Tennessee.

Her honors and achievements over the years number in the hundreds. The Sporting News named the 50 Greatest Coaches of All-Time. Summitt was voted the 11th best of all-time and was the only woman on the list. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June of 1999, into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in October of 2000, and was the third member of the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame in June of 2011.

More recently, the United States Sports Academy awarded Summitt its 2011 Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award. Also in October of last year, The Huffington Post named Summitt a 2011 Game Changer–an innovator, leader, and role model who is changing the way we look at the world and the way we live in it. The Tennessee Communication Association selected Summitt for its most prestigious award, Communicator of the Year.

Past Tigrett Award recipients include: fashion designer and philanthropist Pat Kerr Tigrett, United States Senator and Ambassador Howard Baker, actress Dixie Carter, television personality Wink Martindale, legendary singer Brenda Lee, and United States Senator Lamar Alexander.

Gala proceeds will benefit Ayers Children’s Medical Center and the Kirkland Cancer Center at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. For reservations, contact Chris Ramey at 731-984-2142 or Chris.Ramey@wth.org.

Lady Vols 118, Coker 44

A 23-0 run early in the first half sealed the deal as No. 20 Tennessee routed Division II Coker, 118-44 on Sunday afternoon before 10,137 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Lady Vols finished their preseason exhibitions with two wins by a combined score of 222-88. The Holly Warlick era officially gets underway on Friday night as Tennessee travels to Chattanooga for the opener of the 2012-13 season.

Freshman Bashaara Graves led six Lady Vols in double-figures with 22 points. Junior Meighan Simmons tallied 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds along with seven assists.

Sophomore Isabelle Harrison netted 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and snagged nine boards. Sophomore Cierra Burdick (16), senior Kamiko Williams (14) and senior Taber Spani (10) also scored in double-figures.

The defense was sensational on Sunday as Tennessee forced Coker into 31 turnovers and limited them to 26.7 shooting from the floor.

The most telling statistic was points off turnovers: Tennessee 51, Coker 5.

The taller Lady Vols also outscored Coker on points in the paint, 84-4.

Lady Vol Hall of Fame Induction

Pat Summitt and Michelle Marciniak were among a class of four inducted into the Lady Vol Hall of Fame.

Lady Vols 104, Carson-Newman 44

The No. 20 Lady Vols opened the 2012-13 season with a dominating 104-44 victory over Carson-Newman on Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game marked the debut for longtime Tennessee assistant Holly Warlick as head coach of her alma mater before 10,647.

Junior Meighan Simmons led the Lady Vols with 24 as five players scored in double-figures.

Sophomore Isabelle Harrison scored 19 and grabbed seven rebounds.

Freshman Bashaara Graves had a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds in her first game as a Lady Vol. Fellow newcomer Jasmine Jones tallied 16 in her debut, as she made the first six of her field goal attempts.

Senior Taber Spani netted 11 points.

Sophomore Cierra Burdick had a well-rounded game with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Tennessee was superior in all areas of the game. UT captured the rebounding battle, 55-32 while the Lady Vols shot 55.2% from the floor and limited Carson-Newman to just 20% from the floor. Tennessee forced the Division II Eagles into 25 turnovers and recorded 16 steals.

The Lady Vols return to action on Sunday as they play the second of two exhibition games as Coker College of South Carolina comes to Thompson-Boling Arena for a 2 pm tip-off. Tennessee officially opens the 2012-13 regular-season Nov. 9 as the Lady Vols travel to Chattanooga to take on the Mocs at 7 pm.

Same heart, same pride, same fight

HOLLY WARLICK stands behind a large mahogany desk, her gray-blue eyes scanning the office in front of her. Autographed photos and lifetime achievement awards dot the walls around her; every imaginable kind of orange Tennessee memorabilia, from Lady Vols Russian nesting dolls to a Pat Summitt bobblehead, fill the massive bookcase at her back. "What am I supposed to do with all this?" Warlick asks to no one in particular. "It's too big; it's too empty. It's just -- it's Pat's."

After 27 years as an assistant coach for the Lady Vols, Warlick always envisioned herself as the heir apparent to the legendary Summitt. Only it wasn't supposed to happen this way. "I'd often joke I would be pushing her out of here to games in her wheelchair," recalls the 54-year-old, her voice perma-hoarse from years of coaching. "Pat and I discussed it in this very room, and I was really, genuinely happy with that." Instead, Summitt's diagnosis of early-onset dementia in 2011 and subsequent retirement at the end of last season destroyed any dreams of a celebratory passing of the torch. Now, premature or not, the future of Tennessee women's basketball rests squarely on Warlick's shoulders.

It's an intimidating legacy, to put it lightly: eight national championships, 16 SEC titles and 1,098 wins under Summitt. Her teams routinely sold out home games -- a rarity in women's hoops -- and the Lady Vols' facilities and expenses ($5.89 million in 2010-11) rival those of most men's programs. Such accolades were a boon for Summitt on the recruiting trail. But now, without the program's No. 1 recruiting tool, without Coach Pat, Warlick faces an uphill battle to ensure that the University of Tennessee remains a powerhouse going forward. And as the 2012-13 season tips off, the pressure is palpable. The college hoops world will be watching -- every triumph, every stumble -- and asking: Is Warlick coach enough to fill the shoes of the winningest coach in college basketball history?

Read the rest of the story by Sarah Turcotte.

Lady Vols Land Nation's Top Recruit

The Lady Vols basketball team landed the nation's top recruit on Tuesday.

Mercedes Russell of Springfield, Oregon, picked Tennessee over Louisville. She's listed as the top high school basketball player in the country by ESPN. The 6-5 Russell recently led her high school team to their second consecutive state title. She averages 26-points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks a game.

Said Russell,"Well Tennessee has always been my dream school since I was a little kid. After visiting several times, I just felt like it was the best fit for me. When I called Tennessee, everyone was jumping and screaming. Yelling in the phone. They were all excited." Russell plans to sign her national letter of intent in November.

An evening with Pat Summitt

Clarksville, TN – Friends and family gathered at the Charles Hand farm to welcome home one of their own last night. Pat Summitt, the winningest basketball coach in the history of the game, came home.

This time, it wasn’t to generate support for her basketball team, or her university, it was to support “Sis.” You see, Pat Summitt is in the fight of her life, and where better to draw strength and encouragement than from friends and family.

Read the rest of the story by Hank Bonecutter.

Pat Summitt heads list of 2012 Lady Vol Hall of Fame inductees

The 12th group of inductees for inclusion in the Lady Volunteer Hall of Fame has been announced by University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Dave Hart.

“We are pleased and excited to announce the 2012 class of the Lady Vol Hall of Fame,” Hart said. “This distinguished group includes a legendary coach and three former student-athletes whose participation in athletics runs the gamut from the early days of varsity women’s athletics competition at Tennessee to an inductee who is being enshrined in her first year of eligibility. It is our pleasure to welcome them into an elite circle of people who have represented the University of Tennessee at the highest level.”

The four inductees in the Class of 2012 represent three different teams. The honorees include: Jane Haist (track & field), Michelle Marciniak (basketball), Pat Summitt (basketball-coach) and Young-A Yang (golf). Athletes are eligible for inclusion 10 years after they have graduated from the University, while administrators may be admitted to the Lady Volunteer Hall of Fame five years following their last service to UT.

The Lady Vol Hall of Fame selection committee made a recommendation to waive the five-year “last service requirement” for coach Summitt, making her eligible immediately for consideration. That recommendation was approved.

Enshrinement activities are scheduled for Friday evening, Nov. 2, at the Downtown Hilton, where a private induction ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 3, the inductees will be introduced during an on-field presentation at the Tennessee versus Troy football game at Neyland Stadium.

Throughout the 36-year history of Lady Vol student-athletes, 1,881 women have donned the Orange and White Tennessee uniform. With the addition of the four individuals in the 2012 class of the Lady Vol Hall of Fame, membership now has reached 71 in this very elite Hall.

Tamika Pix

Two Nice Tamika Stories

Tamika Catchings wins elusive title
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and former NCAA champ finally nabs WNBA crown

Just how much does Tamika Catchings appreciate finally winning her first WNBA title at age 33? To understand, you must go back to the little girl shooting baskets alone on the playground, the place she felt she had the most refuge from bullying.

You must go back to the college senior missing her last NCAA tournament at Tennessee because of a knee injury.

You must go back to the player screaming out in pain when her Achilles' tendon ruptured as the Indiana Fever's 2007 season came to an end.

You must go back to the devastated veteran having lost her closest brush to a WNBA championship, as it slipped away to Phoenix in 2009.

And you must go back to the disappointed regular-season MVP who was hobbled by a foot injury as Indiana fell to Atlanta in the 2011 Eastern Conference finals.

Read the rest of the story by Mechelle Voepel.

A true team effort and unlikely contributors bring Indiana Fever a title

This one's for Tamika Catchings, who finally filled out her trophy case with her first WNBA title to go along with all those Olympic gold medals and overseas championships. Did you catch that snapshot of Catchings standing on the victory podium, holding up the championship and MVP hardware? What a sight.

Read the rest of the story by Bob Kravitz.

Tamika Catchings - First WNBA Championship

Catch and Pat Summitt with Lin Dunn in background

Tamika Catchings and Fever win first WNBA title

Tamika Catchings finally won her long-awaited WNBA championship.

She scored 25 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocked shots to help the Indiana Fever win their first title with an 87-78 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night.

Catchings, who was the MVP of the Finals, averaged 24.8 points in the series, which the Fever won 3-1 over the defending WNBA champions.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” said Catchings tearing up. “We’ve had ups and downs, ins and outs.”

Erin Phillips added 18 points and eight rebounds while Shavonte Zellous and Briann January each had 15 points.

The Fever won even though No. 2 scorer Katie Douglas missed most of the series with a severely sprained left knee. Douglas checked in with 3.2 seconds left to a loud ovation.

“We sure didn’t make it easy,” Douglas said. “We went three games with Atlanta, three games with Connecticut. This team played amazing in these Finals.”

Catchings had won three Olympic gold medals and an NCAA championships at Tennessee in 1998, but never a WNBA one. She had been in a position to clinch at home before. The Fever led Phoenix 2-1 in the best-of-five WNBA Finals in 2009, but the Mercury beat the Fever 90-77, took the series back to Phoenix and won the title at home in Game 5.

This time, Catchings took it home with college coach Pat Summitt looking on in the crowd.

Indiana led 63-58 at the end of the third quarter. Minnesota cut Indiana’s lead to 70-67 on a jumper by Maya Moore, but Phillips scored on a drive past Moore, got a defensive rebound, then found Shavonte Zellous for a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Fever a 75-67 lead with 4:58 remaining.

Indiana led by at least five points the rest of the way. A 3-pointer by January gave Indiana an 80-72 lead with 1:18 to play. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was called for a technical with 57.6 seconds remaining, Catchings made the free throw and the Fever took an 81-74 lead. Zellous made two more free throws with 27.2 seconds to play, and Fever fans began celebrating.

Seimone Augustus, Minnesota’s leading scorer in the playoffs, was held to eight points on 3-for-21 shooting. Lindsay Whalen scored 22 points and Moore added 16 points for the Lynx, who were vying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since Los Angeles in 2001 and 2002.

Moore picked up her third foul with 6:13 left in the second quarter. Reeve, who was fined for her jacket-tossing tantrum in Game 2, became animated again while disagreeing with the call. As the crowd erupted, Reeve waved hello and made the motion for a technical foul.

This time, Reeve’s antics didn’t help much as in Game 2, when her team pulled away from a tight contest after her technical foul for a convincing win. Minnesota tied the game three times in the second quarter, but the Fever closed with a 7-2 run, including a 3-pointer by Phillips, to take a 47-42 lead at halftime. Whalen scored 14 points in the first half to keep the Lynx in the game, often scoring on uncontested drives. Minnesota hung tough, despite Augustus shooting 2-for-13 in the first half.

Indiana started the second half on a 9-4 run, including two buckets by Catchings, to take a 56-46 lead.

Minnesota came right back. A driving layup by Moore cut Indiana’s lead to 56-54 and forced the Fever to call timeout.

Minnesota tied the game on another drive by Moore, but the Fever responded with a 3-pointer by Catchings and a basket by Jessica Davenport to push the lead back to five by the end of the quarter.

October 27 will be Tamika Catchings Day in Indianapolis

Tamika Catchings is getting a day in her honor in the city of Indianapolis next week.

The city proclamation, signed by Mayor Greg Ballard, declares October 27 "Tamika Catchings Day."

The honor is connected to the Simon Youth Foundation's and the Pacer's Foundation's annual fundraiser "Masquerade," which occurs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that night.

The 11th annual Masquerade honors Catchings, the founder of "Catch the Stars Foundation," which supports programs for youth.

Elusive championship is within reach for Fever's Catchings, Douglas

They've been here previously: One win away from the WNBA title. Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas have faced it before, but not quite like this.

Catchings is at the top of her game, averaging 18.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in this postseason for the Indiana Fever. The Fever lead the WNBA Finals 2-1, so Catchings will go into Sunday's Game 4 against Minnesota trying to make it her last contest of this WNBA season.

Douglas, her teammate with the Fever since 2008, will be there to offer all the moral support possible. But it seems unlikely she'll be able to do much more. Douglas severely injured her left ankle early in the clinching game of the Eastern Conference finals on Oct. 11 and hasn't played since.

Indiana coach Lin Dunn has said the window for Douglas to get on court in this series cracks open just a little more each day, but clearly time is running short. Douglas wasn't at the Fever's workout or media availability Saturday.

"I text her every morning, and throughout the day we'll go back and forth," Catchings said. "I know it's a struggle when you're sitting on the sidelines and you want so bad to be out there. But it's life."

Catchings kind of laughed then, and added, "You know, we never do things easy, between her and I. I go out and tear my plantar fascia [last year during the playoffs], and now she's got her ankle that is black, blue, purple, orange, yellow -- a little of every color you can imagine. But I told her, 'You helped us get this far. This right here is a product of what we all started together.' "

Read the rest of the story by Mechelle Voepel.

Quotes from Tamika Catchings prior to Game 4 of the WNBA Finals

Tamika Catchings hasn't forgotten how close she came to clearing the biggest hurdle of her basketball career.

Catchings is a seven-time All-Star, five time defensive player of the year and the 2011 WNBA MVP. She also has won three Olympic gold medals, but is still seeking her first league championship.

"Don't let your highs get you too high and let your lows get you too low," she said Saturday. "I felt like we celebrated too much after Game 3 in 2009 and we came out in Game 4 and had an opportunity and we let it slip away."

"I think that, for us, it's going to be a 40-minute game," she said. "We're going to have to come out and play Fever basketball for 40 minutes. We talked about that as a team, just not getting content with where we're at. We're 40 minutes away, so we have to come out and stay focused and stay ready."

"We've talked about defense, we've talked about offense, making a few changes, but really I think the biggest thing is just intensity," Catchings said.

Indiana will be without reserve guard Jeanette Pohlen for the rest of the series. The Fever announced that she tore the ACL in her left knee during Game 2 in Minneapolis. Fever guard Katie Douglas has missed the whole series with a sprained left ankle.

WNBA Finals - Game 3 - Fever 76, Lynx 59

Shavonte Zellous scored a career-high 30 points to help the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 76-59 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

Tamika Catchings added 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots in only 23 minutes of play.

Erlana Larkins had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Fever, who took a 2-1 lead in the series and can clinch their first WNBA title at home Sunday night.

Rebekkah Brunson, who scored 12 points, was the only Minnesota player to reach double figures.

It had been a tense series. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was fined after a jacket-throwing tantrum in Game 2, actions that Fever coach Lin Dunn called “disrespectful.” Reeve spent most of the second half seated quietly with her hand on her chin.

The Fever’s lead of 70-33 with 1:58 left in the third quarter was the largest lead by any team in WNBA Finals history.

Pat Summitt to attend fundraiser

Pat Summitt, longtime University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach, will be participating in a meet-and-greet dinner in the Cedar Hill area next week.

The event, “An Evening with Pat,” is an Alzheimer’s awareness event that will raise funds for the Pat Summitt Foundation. Summitt will not be a speaker at the event.

“She’ll be there to visit with her fans,” said Home Instead Senior Care owner Dennis Wade, who helped organize the event.

The event will take place Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Charles Hand farm at 1816 Ross Road from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person. Ticket sales are limited to 250, Wade said

To purchase a ticket, contact Home Instead Senior Care at 931-648-7800 or 615-859-2380.

WNBA Finals - Game 2 - Lynx 83, Fever 71

These WNBA Finals are not for the feeble. Seimone Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx toughened up after a rare loss and a soft performance at home in the opener by wearing down the Indiana Fever.

Tamika Catchings led the way as usual with 27 points and eight rebounds, but the Fever's defense faded after a dominant start that forced the Lynx to miss 11 of their first 14 shots.

The series now moves to Indiana. Game 3 is on Friday, and Catchings predicted an even more physical match.

''It was pretty rough out there, and we're going to have to adapt to that,'' said Fever coach Lin Dunn, who called this the most physical game she's seen in 42 years. ''We'll go home and we'll be ready.''

Catchings and Parker earn First-Team All-WNBA honors

For the tenth time in 11 seasons, Tamika Catchings is part of the All-WNBA team.

It’s the seventh time she’s earned First-Team honors.

Catchings, the league’s MVP a year ago, averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals while guiding the Indiana Fever to the WNBA Finals.

The Fever will face the Minnesota Lynx Wednesday night in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team won the first game of best-of-five series.

All-WNBA First Team

Candace Parker, forward, Los Angeles Sparks
Tamika Catchings, forward, Indiana Fever
Tina Charles, center, Connecticut Sun
Cappie Pondexter, guard, New York Liberty
Seimone Augustus, guard, Minnesota Lynx

All-WNBA Second Team

Maya Moore, forward, Minnesota Lynx
Sophia Young, forward, San Antonio Silver Stars
Sylvia Fowles, center, Chicago Sky
Kristi Toliver, guard, Los Angeles Sparks
Lindsay Whalen, guard, Minnesota Lynx

WNBA Finals - Game 1 - Fever 76, Lynx 70

Erlana Larkins had 16 points and 15 rebounds and the Indiana Fever stunned defending champion Minnesota with a 76-70 victory over the Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night.

Tamika Catchings added 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 4 blocked shots for the Fever, who played without leading scorer Katie Douglas because of a severely sprained left ankle.

The Fever scored 15 points off of 17 Minnesota turnovers and outscored the Lynx 38-24 in the paint to become just the second visiting team this season to win at Target Center.

Briann January added 11 points and six assists and Erin Phillips scored 13 for Indiana.

Fever beat Sun 87-71 to advance to WNBA Finals

Tamika Catchings scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, had 4 assists and 2 steals to lead the Indiana Fever into the WNBA Finals for the second time in four seasons with an 87-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night.

Indiana will play at defending WNBA champion Minnesota, who swept Los Angeles in the Western Conference, in Game 1 of the finals on Sunday.

Jennings' suit vs. UT a nasty mess

So was she or wasn't she?

Was Pat Summitt forced out as the University of Tennessee women's basketball coach last spring, as she declared in a sworn affidavit filed this past week in U.S. District Court?

Or was her exit really "entirely my decision," as she said in a statement issued Friday that was intended to, according to the release, clear up "some misunderstandings" regarding the affidavit?

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall whenever Summitt's attorneys and UT's attorney's got together in those 48 hours from Wednesday to Friday.

Read more of Mark Wiedmer's column.

Summitt at Lady Vols' First Practice

Summitt made an appearance Sunday at the Lady Vols' first full-scale practice for new coach Holly Warlick. Although Summitt stepped down as the Lady Vols' coach in April after winning eight national titles in 38 years, she remains on staff as head coach emeritus.

Warlick said she expects to have Summitt at every practice.

Summitt's appearance gave Sunday's practice a familiar feel, but plenty of change surrounds this team. The Lady Vols are adopting a faster tempo in hopes their athleticism compensates for their inexperience. Tennessee doesn't return anyone who started an NCAA tournament game during its run to a regional final last season.

Pat Summitt statue unveiled during homecoming celebration in Martin

Speaking less than three minutes, Pat Summitt called her time at the University of Tennessee Martin the best thing that ever happened to her.

A hall of fame basketball coach and winner of eight NCAA basketball titles at the University of Tennessee, Summitt returned to her roots for the unveiling of statues of herself, former UTM coach Nadine Gearin and former women’s athletics director Bettye Giles on Saturday.

“What a great day,” Summitt said. “You’re here today because you love this university. You love Nadine (Gearin) and Bettye (Giles) and that’s what it’s about.”

Stepping down was 'very surprising, very hurtful'

University of Tennessee Lady Vols Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt says Athletics Director Dave Hart asked her to step down as head coach.

In a sworn affidavit related to a lawsuit filed against the university by former Lady Vol Media Director Debby Jennings, Summitt describes Hart's request as "very surprising to me and very hurtful."

"During this one-on-one meeting, Dave Hart indicated to me that I would not be coaching the Lady Vol Basketball Team in the next school year (2012-13)," Summitt said according to the affidavit filed Wednesday.

"This was very surprising to me and very hurtful as that was a decision I would have liked to have made on my own at the end of the season after consulting with my family, doctors, colleagues and friends and not to be told this by Mr. Hart. I felt this was wrong."

New Summitt Memoir Titled "Sum It Up"

Pat Summitt's upcoming book, "Sum It Up," is being written by Washington Post sports writer Sally Jenkins.

Reports indicate the book will touch on her diagnosis last year of early-onset dementia, Alzheimer's type.

Hopefully it will also include her numerous miscarriages and divorce from Sevier County banker R.B. Summitt.

"Sum It Up" is due out in the spring of 2013.

Pat Summitt initially felt forced out by Tennessee

Pat Summitt said in an affidavit that she initially felt she was being forced to step down as the Lady Vols' basketball coach by Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart, who later told Summitt that she had misinterpreted his comments.

The signed affidavit was part of a lawsuit filed against the University of Tennessee by former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings. In it, Summitt said Hart told her at a March 14 meeting prior to the NCAA tournament that she would have to step down at the end of the season. Summitt had revealed before the season that she was battling early-onset dementia.

"This was very surprising to me and very hurtful, as that was a decision I would have liked to have made on my own at the end of the season after consulting with my doctors, colleagues and friends and not be told this by Mr. Hart," Summitt said in the affidavit. "I felt this was wrong."

Summitt went on to say in the affidavit that Hart later told her that she had misinterpreted what he had said. The affidavit is included in an amended complaint filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Jennings' lawsuit alleges that age and sex discrimination led to her forced retirement from the school where she had worked for 35 years.

Tennessee officials had no immediate response to the amended complaint. Summitt's son, Tyler Summitt, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press Wednesday that, "We are not going to comment right now on this matter."

Summitt, whose 1,098 career wins are the most in NCAA men's or women's basketball history, retired from coaching in April after a 38-year tenure at Tennessee that included eight national championships. She remains part of the staff as head coach emeritus. Holly Warlick, Summitt's longtime assistant, was chosen to replace her.

Summitt's future as the Lady Vols coach was a season-long topic of discussion and Tennessee officials repeatedly said they would support whatever decision she made. Warlick was very emotional after the Lady Vols' season-ending defeat in the NCAA tournament on March 26. After the loss, Warlick said Summitt hadn't discussed the situation with her, or anyone else.

At the April press conference announcing her retirement, Tyler Summitt said the move was his mother's decision.

Pat Summitt said that day: "It's never a good time, but you have to find the time that you think is the right time and that is now."

Since announcing her retirement, Summitt has not indicated that she is unhappy about how her coaching career ended. She has appeared at several fundraisers for her foundation and at various events, including NFL and WNBA games, and a NASCAR race. She also has an office not far from Warlick and on Monday made an appearance during the Today Show's visit to Tennessee's campus.

When Jennings' lawsuit was originally filed Sept. 27, university spokesperson Margie Nichols denied any allegation that Summitt had been forced out.

"It's absolutely not true," Nichols said last week. "It was Pat's idea to become the head coach emeritus. I think she made that really clear at her press conference earlier this year."

Jennings' suit also argued that Hart retaliated against Jennings when she protested that Summitt's early onset dementia protected her from losing her job under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Jennings said in the original complaint that Summitt informed her of Hart's intentions after that March meeting. Jennings indicated in the suit that she sent a written protest to Hart asking him to reconsider, and that he sent her an angry email in response.

The suit indicates Hart spoke with Jennings at a May 15 meeting and gave her less than three hours to choose whether to resign, retire or be fired. The suit charges that she lost her job either due to her gender and age or out of retaliation for her advocacy of gender-equity issues, opposition to discrimination against female student-athletes and opposition to sex, disability or age discrimination.

Jennings was 57 years old when she left her job as the university worked toward consolidating the men's and women's athletic departments.

Fever 75, Dream 64

B. January had 16 points, 5 assists and 2 steals.
E. Larkins had 16 points and 20 rebounds.
K. Douglas had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and one steal.
Tamika Catchings had 16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.

The Fever win the Eastern Conference semifinals two games to one. Indiana will face No. 1 seed Connecticut in the conference finals.

'Today' show hosts take a 'shine' to Big Orange Country

Pat Summitt was a surprise guest for NBC's 'Today' show broadcast from atop 'The Hill' on the University of Tennessee's campus in Monday, Oct. 1, 2012. The show's fourth hour, hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb carried on despite the steady rainfall. Gifford chose to wear a Peyton Manning jersey for the show, while Kotb wore a Justin Hunter jersey.

Tamika Catchings Named 2012 WNBA Defensive Player of Year

For the fifth time in her career, Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings has been named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Boost Mobile, the league announced today. Catchings previously won the award in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010.

Equally adept on the offensive end, this season Catchings finished first in the East and second overall in scoring among forwards (17.4 ppg) and third in the conference in field goals made (200). She led Indiana in rebounds (7.6 rpg), defensive rebounds (5.8 drpg), double-doubles (10), steals (2.06 spg) and blocks (0.85 bpg).

Honored as the Eastern Conference Player of the Month presented by Boost Mobile for August, Catchings ranked fourth in the league in defensive rebounds and double-doubles, fifth in steals, and sixth in rebounds.

Catchings, referred to as Indiana’s “do-everything” forward, is in her 12th season of league play. The 2011 WNBA Most Valuable Player is also a seven-time WNBA All-Star.

In honor of being named the Defensive Player of the Year presented by Boost Mobile, Catchings will receive $5,000 and a trophy specially designed by Tiffany & Co.

Former Lady Vols media director sues, claims Summitt was forced out

The University of Tennessee's former Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations is suing the university and Athletic Director Dave Hart.

Debby Jennings, the long-time coordinator who worked closely with the Lady Vols and Pat Summitt, announced her retirement in May. But a week later, Jennings' attorney claimed she was forced out, and hinted that a lawsuit could be filed.

On Thursday, the suit was filed, with Jennings claiming unlawful discrimination and retaliation. She is asking for a trial by jury along with monetary and injunctive relief.

According to attorney David Burkhalter, Jennings is specifically asking for a court order to require Hart and others in the athletics department to undergo "appropriate diversity and ethics training."

In the lawsuit, Jennings also claims that Dave Hart forced Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt to step down. She says Hart met with Summitt in March before the NCAA tournament and informed her she would no longer coach the Lady Vols.

Jennings goes on to say that Hart informed Summitt he would be hiring Holly Warlick as the Lady Vols head coach.

She says Summitt told her of the meeting and that she was "very upset and extremely hurt."

When Summitt announced her retirement, Summitt said it was her idea to step down because of her battle with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type.

Tennessee Vice Chancellor for Communications, Margie Nichols, cited that press conference and said Jennings' claims are baseless, calling them "absolutely not true." She said it was Summitt's idea to become head coach emeritus.

Jennings has deferred comment to her attorney.

Kara Lawson Receives 2012 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award

Connecticut Sun guard Kara Lawson was named the recipient of the 2012 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the WNBA announced today.

Designed to honor a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship - ethical behavior, fair play and integrity - the award is named for the late Kim Perrot, who helped guide the Houston Comets to their first two WNBA championships, before passing away in August 1999, after a seven-month battle with cancer.

Buy Purple & Orange Pansies at Stanley's and help fight Alzheimer's

On a crisp, fall day, Lady Vols' Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt visited Stanley's Greenhouses and Plant Farm on Davenport Road in South Knoxville. She was there to announce the Alzheimer's Pansy Project to raise money for the Pat Summitt Foundation.

Both locations of Stanley's Greenhouses will donate proceeds from sales of orange and purple pansies (through the end of November) to the foundation named after Summitt, who announced in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.

The goal of the project is for East Tennesseans to plant purple and orange pansies at their businesses or homes. The two colors were picked because purple is the color associated with the fight against Alzheimer's and orange is for the University of Tennessee.

Stanley's is located at 3029 Davenport Road in South Knoxville. Their Secret Garden is located at 305 South Northshore Drive, near Kingston Pike and Northshore.

For more information call 865-573-9591.

More honors for Pat Summitt

The Knoxville Association of Women Executives honored former Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt on Thursday as their 2012 Notable Woman Award Winner.

Summitt, who stepped down in April after 38 years as coach of the Lady Vols to become head coach emeritus for the program, was selected from a group of women nominated by the community and selected by a committee of KAWE members.

A cash award will be given to a charity of the winner's choice. Summitt, who has been diagnosed with early onset dementia Alzheimer's type, has established the Pat Summitt Foundation, which makes grants to nonprofit organizations that provide Alzheimer's education and research as well as support services.

Last Friday, Summitt was recognized by UT with a Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award, which honors alumni who have attained extraordinary distinction and success in their chosen fields.

Former UT guard Kara Lawson Barling, an analyst with ESPN and a member of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, received an Alumni Promise Award, which recognizes alumni 40 years old or younger.

Catchings Draws WNBA Monthly Honors

Former Lady Vol Named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month

A day after earning WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week accolades, former Lady Vol Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever was named the WNBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month presented by Boost Mobile on Wednesday. The award was for games played from Aug. 16 (when the league resumed play following its break for the 2012 Olympic Games) through the end of the month.

For Catchings, the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month presented by Boost Mobile award is the second of her career. She previously earned the award in July 2010, the first year in which the league recognized monthly performance.

In leading the Fever to a 6-1 record in August (tops in the East), Catchings helped Indiana clinch its eighth consecutive berth in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Boost Mobile, the longest active streak in the Eastern Conference. Along the way the 11th-year pro shared the conference lead in steals (2.14 spg), ranked third in scoring (16.6 ppg), tied for third in both assists (4.1 apg) and blocks (1.29 bpg), and was fourth in rebounds (7 rpg).

The WNBA career leader in steals and free throws made (827 and 1,541, respectively), Catchings also ranks in the top 10 all-time in rebounds (fourth, with 2,551), points (fifth, 5,618), assists (eighth, 1,230), three-point field goals made (eighth, 491), and total field goals made (tenth, 1,793).

Catchings' stellar effort during August came on the heels of her performance in the 2012 Olympics where she helped the United States Women's Olympic Basketball Team earn a fifth consecutive gold medal (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012), an Olympic record for traditional women's team sports.

This marks the first season that Boost Mobile - the league-wide marquee partner of the WNBA - has presented the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month awards.

Highlights of Catchings' WNBA action in August included:

• Aug. 16 vs. Washington: Double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds in an 84-66 win
• Aug. 18 vs. Atlanta: 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in an 86-72 victory.
• Aug. 28 vs. Washington: 17 points, five boards, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in an 83-68 win 
• Aug. 30 at New York: 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a 76-63 win
• Sept. 1 vs. Chicago: Double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, three steals in an 81-64 win

Legendary Coach Pat Summitt to be Honored as 12th Titan Sunday at LP Field

Legendary Tennessee basketball coach Pat Summitt will be honored as the 12th Titan in a special ceremony prior to kickoff of the Tennessee Titans home opener against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 9. In addition, Titans owner K.S.”Bud” Adams, Jr. will donate $25,000 to the Pat Summitt Foundation in an effort to raise awareness and help find a cure to Alzheimer’s disease.

“I am very thankful for the generous support of Mr. Bud Adams and the Tennessee Titans' franchise,” said Summitt. “My son, Tyler and I have enjoyed attending Tennessee Titans games and cheering for our home state football team. I am humbled and excited that the Tennessee Titans have joined our team in fighting Alzheimer's disease through the The Pat Summitt Foundation.”

Pat Summitt named the recipient of the Billie Jean King Legacy Award

The season of honors continued for Tennessee Lady Vols Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt as she is named the recipient of the Billie Jean King Legacy Award.

The award is presented by the US Tennis Association to a person whose courage and contributions helped change the cultural landscape.

Bayne To Drive 'We Back Pat' #60 Car

Representatives of YourRaceCar.com, The Pat Summitt Foundation, Roush Fenway Racing, K-VA-T Food Stores/Food City, and Bristol Motor Speedway announced today the "We Back PatTM" Racing promotion.

YourRaceCar.com was created by four Knoxville, Tenn., investors who believed that individual racing fans could join together to sponsor their favorite race team, and in exchange, experience racing in a way never before possible for the average fan. While large corporations have been sponsoring race teams for decades, YourRaceCar.com gives individual fans the opportunity to put their name or photo on an actual race car and truly become part of the race.

Before the March 17, 2012, Ford EcoBoost 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Trevor Bayne, a Knoxville resident and NASCAR Sprint Cup/Nationwide Series driver, was second in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship points race. With no sponsor and only days left before the race, fans were disappointed that Trevor would be sitting on the sidelines for the Ford EcoBoost 300 at BMS, his hometown track. At the last minute, YourRaceCar.com stepped in and sponsored Trevor, ensuring that he would again be a fan favorite at BMS.

In May 2012, representatives of BMS approached YourRaceCar.com with the idea of promoting The Pat Summitt Foundation with Trevor's No. 60 Roush Fenway Race Car at the Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race August 24, 2012, at BMS. In the months that followed, YourRaceCar.com facilitated a partnership between The Pat Summitt Foundation, Roush Fenway Racing, Food City, and Bristol Motor Speedway which would bring this idea from concept to reality.

On August 24, 2012, Trevor Bayne will pilot the No. 60 Roush Fenway "We Back PatTM"-themed Ford Mustang in the Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

In response to the announcement, Coach Summit said, "I am thrilled that the Pat Summitt Foundation is going to be represented on the YourRaceCar.com No. 60 Roush Fenway car in the Food City 250. It will be a lot of fun to watch Trevor Bayne drive the `We Back Pat' car at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. It should be a great experience, and I am looking forward to it very much."

The promotion is designed to raise national awareness of The Pat Summitt Foundation's mission and contribution to the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Pat Summitt, head women's basketball coach emeritus of the eight-time NCAA champion Tennessee Lady Volunteers, was diagnosed in August of 2011 with early onset dementia, "Alzheimer's Type." During her 38 years at the helm of the Tennessee program, Summitt produced a sterling record of 1,098-208 (.840) that included the most victories in NCAA basketball history. In that time period, the Lady Vols won eight NCAA titles as well as a combined 32 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships.

Tennessee made an unprecedented 31 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and produced 12 Olympians, 20 Kodak All-Americans named to 34 teams, and 77 All-SEC performers. Along with the success on the court, Summitt's student-athletes had tremendous productivity in the classroom. Coach Summitt featured a 100 percent graduation rate for all Lady Vols who completed their eligibility at Tennessee.

Summitt also will serve as Grand Marshal at the Food City 250, giving the signal for drivers to start their engines prior to the drop of the green flag. The "We Back Pat TM"-themed car will feature the University of Tennessee orange, along with some Lady Vol blue. A "We Back Pat TM" show car will appear at several regional events before the Food City 250 and "We Back Pat TM" racing t-shirts and other merchandise also will be available. YourRaceCar.com is the official sponsor of the No. 60 Roush Fenway Ford which will be driven by Trevor Bayne in the Food City 250 at BMS. YourRaceCar.com is using this sponsorship to promote the Pat Summitt Foundation by incorporating the "We Back Pat TM" slogan into the paint scheme of Bayne's car in the race. Opportunities are also available for select businesses to show their support for the Pat Summitt Foundation by putting their company on the "We Back Pat TM" race car.

A Roush Fenway Racing show car with the "We Back Pat TM" paint scheme was unveiled today at a press conference at Thompson-Boling Arena. The retired 2010 model Ford Mustang Car of Tomorrow race car was provided by YourRaceCar.com for use in promoting the Pat Summitt Foundation and its sponsors at events leading up to the race. YourRaceCar.com will administer several programs that are open to the public and designed to raise funds for the Pat Summitt Foundation.

Fans of racing and Pat Summitt will have the opportunity to put their name or photo on the actual race car that will participate in the Food City 250, and receive a certificate showing their participation to keep as a memento. Coach Summitt responded to this idea by saying, "It's such a great concept that fans can put their name or photo on the actual car that will participate in the race. It will be a lot of fun to see who goes to WeBackPatRacing.com to put their name on the car. How wonderful is it to be actively involved in the race in that way but also aid in the fight against Alzheimer's disease at the same time? I am proud to be part of this team effort."

Following this race season, YourRaceCar.com will place the retired Roush Fenway race/show car up for auction, and donate a portion of the proceeds to the Pat Summitt Foundation. For details, please visit www.WeBackPatRacing.com.

Pat Summitt Receiving Arthur Ashe Award

YouTube version

Summitt Receives Arthur Ashe Award

2012 ESPYS

Coach Summitt will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Award on Wednesday, July 11 at 9pm ET on ESPN.

Summitt-Wooden Room Dedicated

NCAA Names Room At New Building After Two Legendary Hoops Coaches


INDIANAPOLIS -- Among her incredibly lengthy list of career honors, Tennessee Women's Basketball Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt has two basketball courts, a gym and a campus street named after her. Now the eight-time national champion coach has a room at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Headquarters named in her honor as well.

The NCAA formally dedicated a new building at its national office as the Brand Building in honor of the late President Myles Brand, who served as the Association's chief executive from 2003-09. Located within that facility are rooms named after NCAA sports icons, and Summitt and UCLA men's basketball coaching great John Wooden were jointly honored with the dedication of the Summitt-Wooden Room on Tuesday.

Summitt amassed eight national titles and an NCAA-best (men or women) 1,098 basketball victories over 38 seasons at the helm of the Lady Vols. Wooden, meanwhile, directed UCLA to an NCAA-leading 10 hoops championship trophies and 620 wins during his 27 years leading the Bruins.

Among the dignitaries in attendance at the private event were Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

Also recognized at the dedication were other NCAA icons with rooms named after them, including James Frank, Judy Sweet, Christine Grant, Charlotte West. Family members or representatives for Theodore Roosevelt, John Wooden, Jesse Owens and Althea Gibson also were present.



Pat Summitt

Matthew Mitchell’s days at Central Holmes Academy High School were busy.

In the mid-1990s, he was the head coach of boys and girls basketball teams, the golf teams, and the track and field teams. Mitchell was also the defensive coordinator for the football team. He even cleaned the floors.

Mitchell didn’t have time to think about Pat Summitt.

In 1996, a friend of Mitchell’s, who was also an assistant coach at Mississippi at the time, told him he could help out at a women’s basketball camp at the University of Tennessee. Always in the market to learn more about coaching, Mitchell headed to Knoxville. It didn’t take him long to find out who Summitt was. And how selfless she is.

“That’s where I first noticed how giving she was,” Mitchell said. “There were 100 coaches from all over the country, and she would spend time with all of them.”

During the summer of 1999, his fourth working at Summitt’s camp, he was offered a job as a graduate assistant on Summitt’s staff. Although his stay in Knoxville lasted just a year before his career took off, eventually landing him at the University of Kentucky’s as head coach of the women’s basketball program, the confidence he developed from working with Summitt still stays with him.

Summitt’s been a pioneer in women’s basketball longer than her players have been alive. She was hired in 1974 as a graduate assistant at Tennessee, when women’s basketball was still governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Before the 1974-75 season began, the head coach quit and Summitt was quickly promoted to head coach, starting a 38-year run with the Lady Vols that included eight national championships,18 Final Fours and 16 Southeastern Conference crowns. She was named national coach of the year seven times and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2000.

If that’s not impressive enough, her career coaching record is 1098-208.

But no amount of championships, honors or statistics could keep Summitt from thinking she was above the sport that ran through her blood. It wasn’t uncommon for her to walk into Tennessee’s student union, step onto a table and promote the women’s basketball game that night – even at the height of the Lady Vols’ success. When it came to advancing women’s basketball, she was second-to-none. Often, Summitt volunteered to move the time of Tennessee’s games if it fit the TV network’s schedule better.

If a Kiwanis or Rotary club asked her to speak, Summitt never said no.

Michelle Perry, the director of the Division I women’s basketball championship, said Summitt was always available when the NCAA needed someone to speak to corporate sponsors. In 2008, the NCAA hosted its sponsors in Tampa, the site of that year’s Final Four. Summitt took the stage in front of a crowd of sponsors, the majority made up of men.

“You could hear a pin drop,” Perry said. “Every person was absolutely mesmerized. I saw grown men climb over each other to shake her hand. She transcends not just women’s basketball, she transcends sports.”

But her priority is Tennessee and her student-athletes.

“Pat has been the No. 1 ambassador for the University of Tennessee, for women’s athletics, for women’s basketball,” said Joan Cronan, the former Tennessee Lady Vols athletic director who has worked with Summitt for 29 years. “She’s always been, not only a great representative but also a person who wants everyone else to be the best they can be. The most important thing to her is the team she’s dealing with.

“The fact that we lead the nation in attendance isn’t something that just happened. Pat Summit has always been willing to get out among the student body, among the community and help promote the game.

It’s all of this that made it so much harder on women’s basketball – and sports in general – when Summitt announced in August that she was suffering from early onset dementia. Summitt coached through the 2011-12 season and then handed over the helm of the most successful program in women’s Division I college basketball history to Holly Warlick, a former player and assistant coach for 27 years.

“The team always came first,” Cronan said. “But what she’s done with other coaches is also incredible.”

Mitchell’s story is one of hundreds, if not thousands, of coaches who have benefitted from some form of Summitt’s help. Usually it’s a coach just calling about an opponent or with a question about strategy. Sometimes it’s a coach stopping by one of Summitt’s practices, which are famously open to any coach who asks.

And other times, Summitt’s selflessness extends to helping a coach ascend the ladder, as was the case with Mitchell and former players such a LSU head coach Nikki Caldwell and Warlick.

“She’s always put everybody – coaches, players – in front of her,” Warlick said. “She always puts the game and everything she does in front of her own personal success and in her life. You can’t just say it enough.”

No one has seen it happen more often than Tyler Summitt, Pat’s son.

Phone calls from coaches and game film became the soundtrack for Pat’s home. Tyler said other coaches would call often for advice on opponents, an offensive or defensive scheme or even a job. And he doesn’t remember his mother saying no when asked to recommend a fellow coach for a job.

“That’s a pretty strong recommendation,” Tyler said with a laugh.

Yet, Tyler didn’t ask her for one when he started searching for his first coaching job.

“Just call my mom, she would be a good reference,” he said with a mighty laugh.

In April he was hired as an assistant coach at Marquette University, but it was his basketball IQ, not his last name, that helped land him the job. At first, Marquette coach Terri Mitchell told Tyler she didn’t have room for another coach on her staff. After about 45 minutes on the phone about X’s and O’s and coaching philosophy, Mitchell was so impressed she flew Tyler up for an interview. She hired him on the spot.

It wasn’t quite Pat’s influence that helped Tyler land a job, but instead years of listening to his mother dissect game film as a bedtime story had an impact only the two Summit’s could share.

“That’s not all I got from my mom, there’s so much more,” Tyler said. “It’s deep down inside, the value of selflessness.

And Pat got her value of selflessness from her father.

When Pat was a child, her father, Richard, would give out loans to people around Henrietta, Tenn., their hometown, and never made them pay him back. He wanted to help them get back on their feet. At his funeral in 2005, Tyler remembers people, sometimes total strangers, telling Pat and Tyler about her father’s generosity.

“Her dad was feared among a lot of people, but he was still a very giving person,” Tyler said. “Mom brought that style to every area of her life.”

The success never changed Pat. Some of Tyler’s earliest memories were of the national championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

“I grew up thinking you just win a national championship every year,” Tyler said. “And then once we didn’t win there for a few years, I really saw what my mom was doing and how much she was helping others and putting herself aside for anybody who walked through the door. It really shaped me as a person.”

While Summitt would help anybody who asked, she cherished helping young women in the sport. As a high school student, Summitt had to transfer schools just to get an opportunity to play on a team, Tyler said.

Even as her coaching career came to a close last spring, Summitt isn’t going to stop helping others. And she’s certainly not going to let her pay-it-forward mentality go away.

As she combats early onset dementia, Summitt is already letting the world in to watch her cope with hopes of helping others.

“I think you can see it through her illness because she’s opened up her personal struggles and personal life for the community,” Warlick said. “She didn’t have to do that. She didn’t have to open up. She chose to do that because that’s the type of person she is.”

Jannah Tucker chooses Tennessee

No. 8 prospect in 2013 class says she's eager to help recruit other elite players


There is a swift breeze moving across the Tennessee Valley that can unofficially be attributed to Lady Vols Nation and its collective sigh of relief. The uncharacteristic lull in recruiting that seemed to coincide with the legendary Pat Summitt's announcement of her battle with early onset dementia is officially over. And it seems what Tennessee fans thought they knew -- that new head coach Holly Warlick is more than capable of leading the program to a similar standard of excellence -- is real.

Jannah Tucker, who is ranked eighth in the ESPN HoopGurlz Super 60 for the class of 2013, verbally committed this weekend while on an unofficial visit. The commitment of the 6-foot wing ends what seemed like a considerable drought in elite recruiting.

Admittedly well aware of the drought, Tucker had no reservations of being the first underclassman to commit in the post-Summitt era.

"I had good relationships with all the coaches and I knew what the standards were," Tucker said. "I'm excited to rebuild the tradition under Coach Holly and make Coach Pat proud."

Now Tucker moves on to her final summer circuit, which includes an August trip to Puerto Rico, where she will compete for a FIBA Americas gold medal with the USA Basketball U18 national team. But she also knows there is some work to do on the recruiting front and she can be a major cog in the rest of the Lady Vols' 2013 haul.

"I don't think it's a mandatory role, but you want the best players with you," Tucker said. "Subconsciously you have pride in your team and you want to play with and against the best."

Tucker won't have as much direct contact with Lady Vols targets as she did a year ago. Her selection to the U18 team places her on a roster with primarily 2012 players and only one uncommitted underclassman, Kendall Cooper of Carson, Calif.

Tucker is aware of the Tennessee needs in recruiting and knows Mercedes Russell, the 6-foot-5 post from Springfield, Ore., along with Cooper, are considering the Lady Vols. While not on staff just yet, she has no qualms about reaching out to those standout players and putting in a good word.

In the bigger picture, Tucker's pledge means more than simply replacing the perimeter scoring of the program's upperclassmen. It stabilizes what many of the perennial SEC power program's competitors hoped was weakness and opportunity to surpass Rocky Top quickly. While one player doesn't mean that the program will ascend to the very peak of the game, it does mean passing them up will have to be earned.

Tennessee Lady Vols Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition

Tennessee Lady Vols Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.

Summitt was unable to attend the original ceremony May 1, so the Director of PCFSN came to Knoxville to give her the award on the court that bears her name.

Here is more on the award from the University of Tennessee:

At a venue hosting youngsters engaged in the physical rigors of this week's Lady Vol Basketball Camp, Tennessee Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award Thursday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN).

PCFSN Executive Director Shellie Pfohl, who was appointed to her post in Feb. 2010 by President Barack Obama, made the trip to UT to personally recognize Summitt on the court that bears the hall of fame coach's name. Summitt, who was unable to attend the awards ceremony at the organization's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on May 1, took time out from basketball camp Thursday to accept the award on her birthday.

One of five individuals chosen in honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Summitt received the Lifetime Achievement Award based upon her contributions to the advancement and promotion of physical activity, fitness, sports, and nutrition-related programs nationwide. Recipients are selected by members of the PCFSN based on the span and scope of an individual's career, the estimated number of lives they have touched and the impact of his or her legacy.

"We are honored to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Coach Summitt for her unparalleled contributions to collegiate athletics as the most victorious coach in NCAA history, and a prolific advocate for equal access and opportunities for girls and women in sports," said Pfohl. "Coach Summitt is the embodiment of passion, brilliance and class, and she has left an indelible mark on the physical activity landscape for aspiring athletes and coaches across America."

Summitt won more games than any other coach in NCAA basketball history, earning eight national titles and 1,098 victories during her 38-year career as head coach at Tennessee. She also directed a program that won a combined 32 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships, made an unprecedented 31-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and produced 12 Olympians, 20 Kodak All-Americans named to 34 teams, and 77 All-SEC performers.

The other 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include founder of Aerobic Dancing, Jacki Sorensen; FITNESSGRAM® founder Dr. Charles Sterling; SPARK co-founder, Dr. Thomas McKenzie; and Dr. Linn Goldberg, the Chief of the Division of Health Promotion & Sports Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University.

2012 PCFSN Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Linn Goldberg, M.D. - Dr. Goldberg is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Health Promotion & Sports Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. His groundbreaking programs for young athletes (ATLAS for boys and ATHENA for girls) utilize exercise and nutrition alternatives to prevent the use of alcohol, performance enhancing and illicit drugs.

Thomas McKenzie, Ph.D. - Dr. McKenzie is Emeritus professor in the San Diego State University School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences. Dr. McKenzie has authored or co-authored over 170 publications and co-founded SPARK -- a nationally recognized research-based public health organization dedicated to improve health through physical activity. In March 2012, he was awarded a Hall of Fame Award from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

Jacki Sorensen - Sorensen is the originator of Aerobic Dancing -- the complete fitness program that combines health and toning benefits of jogging with the fun of dancing. Sorensen is the President and founder of Jacki's Inc.

Charles Sterling, Ed.D. - Sterling is Chairman of Youth Initiatives at The Cooper Institute and Chairman of the FITNESSGRAM Board of Trustees. Dr. Sterling is best known professionally as the founder of the widely-used FITNESSGRAM®, a health-related testing and feedback system for youth.

Pat Summitt - Summitt is Hall of Fame University of Tennessee Head Women's Basketball Coach Emeritus. Summitt has won more games than anyone else in NCAA basketball history, winning eight national titles and 1,098 games at Tennessee.

About the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition: The President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition educates, engages, and empowers all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition. PCFSN is a committee of volunteer citizens who advise the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Through its partnerships with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, PCFSN promotes programs and initiatives that motivate people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to lead active, healthy lifestyles. For more information about the Council, visit www.fitness.gov.

Another national award for Pat Summitt on her 60th birthday

The awards kept rolling in Thursday for Pat Summitt on her 60th birthday. Two more were recognized in campus ceremonies for Tennessee's women's basketball coach emeritus.

One came from the government, the other from ATHENA International.

The President's Council of Fitness, Sports & Nutrition bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award. Executive director Shellie Pfohl made the presentation.

"Coach Summitt,'' said Pfohl, "is the embodiment of passion, brilliance and class, and she has left an indelible mark on the physical activity landscape for aspiring athletes and coaches across America.''

Summitt was one of five Lifetime Achievement honorees are selected by the council based on span and scope of an individual's career, the estimated number of lives they have touched and the impact of his or her legacy.''

The 2012 Global ATHENA Leadership Award was presented by ATHENA International founder Martha Mertz.

The organization celebrates and advances women's leadership.

Summitt is the 28th recipient of the Global Award, which recognizes professional excellence and service to the community and assistance given to help women realize their full leadership potential.

Happy 60th!

Happy 60th birthday to Pat Summitt! Happy Flag Day!

Pat Summitt Knocks In First Hole In One

Tennessee Women's Basketball Head Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt has turned in yet another first. The Hall of Fame hoops coach demonstrated her deft touch with a golf club Friday afternoon, knocking in her very first hole in one.

Playing the par-72 River Course at Sevierville Golf Club in a group that included Hall of Fame college and Olympic coach Billie Moore, television analyst Debbie Antonelli and former Lady Vol basketball player Lisa McGill Reagan, Summitt aced the par-three, 112-yard No. 17 with a seven iron.

Jeremy Cason, an assistant pro at the course provided confirmation, adding that Summitt's drive was over water to what he described as "an island green."