Tennessee got the 2026-27 season off to a strong start Monday night with a 109-62 win over Duquesne. There was plenty of good to take from the night, starting with Kaylene Smikle’s 31 points, the second-most in a Lady Vols debut and the most since 1976. Smikle had the hot hand early and went 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, with all five makes coming in the first half.

Tennessee’s 109 points were the second-most in a season opener in program history, trailing only the 112 it scored against Stetson in 1989. What I liked most was seeing this team get exposed in spots and finding ways to have a big night. It wasn’t always pretty, but they got it done convincingly.

Below are a few thoughts and takeaways from Monday night.

Kaylene Smikle is a big-time player

Smikle came out with 17 points in the first quarter, going 5 for 5 from deep with a smooth release. She’s more than an outside shooter, though. Smikle is no stranger to putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim or pulling up off the dribble. Smikle is also a good defender. She finished with a game-high 31 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Caldwell’s favorite play of the night from Smikle wasn’t a bucket. In the middle of a great night, Smikle passed up one of her own chances to find Naomi White for an open shot.

“She wants to make the right play,” Caldwell said. “She doesn’t necessarily care about how many points she scored, but she wants to win.”

The press works, but the half-court defense needs work

The Lady Vols pressed well and forced a lot of turnovers. Duquesne gave it away nine times in the first quarter, and Tennessee turned those into 11 points. By the end of the night, Tennessee had forced 27 turnovers.

“Our goal going into this game was 30,” Caldwell said. “We were close to that. We want to continue to turn people over and get easy layups off that."

Duquesne still found a lot of open looks, though. Some of that came from late help and some from being late getting out on kickouts. Carla Viegas was left open too many times at the 3-point line. She went 7 of 18 from deep and finished with 24 points.

“The majority of our scout was around her, and we let her get that many threes off,” Caldwell said. “That’s just an area where we have to get better.”

Tennessee will live at the arc, but the shots have to get better

The Lady Vols took a bunch of threes, and at times it looked like Smikle and Jada Eads were the only two who could buy one. Tennessee went 9 for 26 from deep in the first half, and eight of those makes came from Smikle and Eads.

The second half saw a mix of players hit from outside. White found her stroke and went 3 for 3 after the break. By the end, Tennessee had made 17 of 46 for 37%. Those 17 makes were the third-most 3-pointers in a game in program history.

Tennessee will be a high-volume 3-point team, but the shot selection has to get better as the season goes. Everyone can shoot it, but there will be more nights like Monday when the shots don’t fall early for everyone.

“We always want our points to be a mix,” Caldwell said. “We don’t want to live and die by the three.”

Rylie Theuerkauf found her points

Theuerkauf came in as one of the best outside shooters in the SEC. Monday night she struggled from deep, going 1 for 6, but she still did what she came here to do. She put the ball on the floor, got better shots and finished with 13 points.

“I’m very proud of her," Caldwell said. "Sometimes, from what I’ve known from her in the past, when that three ball isn’t going in, she’ll get in her head. I didn’t see her get in her head tonight. I saw her contribute in different ways. When we recruited her, we wanted her to know that we see her as an all-around player."

She also contributed in all facets of the game. Theuerkauf came to Tennessee to be a well-rounded player. Monday night gave her the opportunity to show there's more to her game.

Aaliyah Moore is a hard worker

Moore finished with 11 points, five rebounds and three steals. Her willingness to do whatever is needed will go a long way. Like most of her teammates, Moore is versatile, and we saw that Monday night.

“She’s a very consistent player,” Caldwell said. “She can score at the rim. She can score from three. And she’s a very good defender.”

Moore missed last season due to a knee surgery. It will take some time for her to fully get back into game condition, but you can already see the player she has the chance to be this season.

“She’s very athletic,” Caldwell said. “She’s smart. She’s a skilled player. Again, we have players that haven’t played for quite some time. We’re only going to continue to get better as they get their legs underneath them.”

What’s next

Caldwell said to expect mistakes in the press through November with 15 new players still learning each other. The scoring is there. The half-court defense and shot selection are my early takeaways for what has to catch up. It’s just the beginning of the season, and this team will only get stronger.

“This is a selfless group," Caldwell said. "They’re a relentless group. They’re a hardworking group. They’re a fun group to be around, but they are a selfless group, and they want to win. They want to make the right play. They want to score, and it doesn’t matter who it comes from. It matters that the ball goes in. That’s what makes them so fun to coach, and I think that’s what’s going to make them fun for you guys to watch.”

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