If first impressions are everything, the Kim Caldwell era is off to a great start in Knoxville. Tasked with rebuilding the roster from the ground up, Caldwell’s new-look Lady Vols made an emphatic statement on Tuesday night. They dismantled Florida A&M in a 132-63 exhibition game, delivering exactly the kind of high-octane performance the fanbase was hoping for. However, the game was overshadowed by an apparent injury to guard Kennedy Fauntleroy, who limped off the court in the fourth quarter.

Fauntleroy was forced to exit the game with 5:59 remaining, at which point the Lady Vols held a commanding 118-49 advantage. She was helped off the court by staff members and was seen limping, with what appeared to be a knee injury. She finished the game with 10 points, shooting 50% from the field, distributing four assists, and contributing defensively with four steals.

HC Kim Caldwell provided an update on Fauntleroy’s injury after the game.

“The update is it looks okay. She’ll see doc tomorrow, but she came running back on the floor, and I could have killed her for having that response. But we hope she’s okay,” Caldwell said.

Originally from Maryland, the 5-foot-7 Fauntleroy previously played at Arizona State, Oklahoma State, and Georgetown before her one-year stint at East Carolina. At ECU, she averaged 13.7 points and 3.4 rebounds while adding 153 assists and 86 steals, earning AAC Newcomer and Co-Defensive Player of the Year awards. Her career totals stand at 995 points, 309 rebounds, 306 assists, 200 steals, and 42 blocks.

As far as this one-sided game was concerned, Tennessee’s starting five of Naomi White, Zhen Craft, Aaliyah Moore, Kennedy Fauntleroy, and Rylie Theuerkauf dominated from the tip. White opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, sparking a 19-0 first-quarter run that propelled the Lady Vols to a 77-27 halftime lead.

Punishing every misstep, the Lady Vols turned 23 turnovers into 31 points and added 16 steals before halftime. When they weren’t turning defense into instant offense, Tennessee was bullying the Rattlers on the glass, boasting a 28-9 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive rebounds in the first two quarters.

Eight Tennessee players scored in double figures, something Kim Caldwell simply can’t complain about.

“I love it when we can have a lot of players in double digits. You can get scoring from everywhere. I think we do have a deep team, and I think we have a very balanced team that multiple people can step up on any given night, more so than the eight people in double figures. I was excited with the fact that we had 26 assists, and we were sharing the basketball, and we didn’t take very many shots on two people. We passed the ball pretty well tonight, too,” Caldwell said.

This strong performance even drew praise from the Florida coach Bridgette Gordon, who couldn’t help but huddle with the Vols on the court to pump them up after the game for the upcoming season.

“Y’all better kick bu*t and take names and put some respect back on the Lady Vols name!,” Gordon said.

This gesture was taken well by Kim Caldwell, who wasted no time in complimenting the Florida coach.

“I really appreciate Coach Gordon bringing her team. It was such a special moment to see her be welcomed back here. She is such a beautiful person and has a great light and pours into everyone she is around,” Caldwell said after the game.

“…She is so kind to every single coach that’s around her. She’s so nice to us. She did the same to our players today. A positive light that is, again, one of the most beautiful people that I have ever met, and I’ve just been around her in a short period of time. So we appreciate them coming to play us, and we wish them the best of luck.”

Though this exhibition win doesn’t count toward the official record, Tennessee’s strong performance generated significant optimism surrounding Kim Caldwell’s developing roster. The Lady Vols officially open their regular season at home against Duquesne on November 2 at 6:30 p.m. inside the Food City Center.

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