10 best Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball players of all time
Tennessee women's basketball has a nearly unmatched legacy of greatness, as evident in stars like Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings.
The late Pat Summitt won eight NCAA titles in Knoxville. While the program has struggled at times since Summitt's 2012 retirement, UT is one of the foundational programs in the ever-growing sport of women's basketball.
Here are 10 Lady Vols who helped build the proud program.
Ten best Tennessee Volunteer women's basketball players
#1 Chamique Holdsclaw, 1995-1999
Holdsclaw is UT's top scorer (3,025 points) and rebounder (1,295 rebounds). A three-time NCAA champion and two-time National Player of the Year, Holdsclaw is one of six Lady Vols who had her jersey (No. 23) retired by the school.
#2 Bridgette Gordon, 1985-1989
Not only is Gordon the second leading scorer in program history (2,460 points), but she was also a two-time All-American.
She also helped Summit claim the 1987 NCAA title, the school's first. Funny enough, before that, Summit and UT had a reputation for not finishing. Gordon got the Lady Vols over the top and then helped win another NCAA title at UT in 1989. UT retired her No. 30 jersey.
#3 Candace Parker, 2004-2008
A two-time Wooden Award winner as national player of the year, Parker was absolutely electric.
She ended her UT career with 2,137 points (third best) and is the school leader in blocked shots (275) and dunks (seven). Parker helped claim UT's two most recent NCAA titles and her No. 3 jersey was retired by UT.
#4 Tamika Catchings, 1997-2001
Catchings joins Holdsclaw as the only other UT player to post 2,000 points (2,113) and 1,000 rebounds (1,004).
She was the National Player of the Year in 2000 and was a key part of UT's undefeated 1998 title team. Her No. 4 jersey has also been retired.
#5 Kara Lawson, 1999-2003
Lawson was a superb guard, finisher her UT career with 1,950 points and 456 assists.
She helped UT reach three Final Fours in her Vols career and remains one of the top shooters (256 threes) in the program's history.
#6 Dena Head, 1988-1992
Head was an All-American at UT and helped the Lady Vols to a pair of NCAA crowns.
Her 1,483 points and 457 assists attest to her excellence as a lead guard. Head wasn't UT's flashiest player, but her steady dependability speaks of her excellence.
#7 Patricia Roberts, 1976-1977
As a transfer, Roberts only played a single season for UT, scoring 987 points. Her 29.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per game remain program records. Even more important, she was the first African American Lady Vols and a key in building a top national program.
#8 Meighan Simmons, 2011-2014
Simmons bridged the gap from Summit's coaching career to the post-Summit era. She missed out on the Final Four but scored 2,064 points (fourth best in UT history) and hit 255 3-point shots.
#9 Holly Warlick, 1976-1980
Warlick is second on UT's career assist list with 673 steals. A walk-on who started her career on Summit's third team at UT, Warlick was the driving force on the first remarkable UT teams.
She later earned her stripes by succeeding Summit as UT coach, and her #22 jersey was retired by the school.
#10 Daedra Charles, 1988-1991
A two-time All-American, Charles helped UT win a pair of national titles and scored 1,495 points in three seasons. The former assistant coach of the program died in 2018, and her #32 jersey was retired.