Tennessee Women's Basketball Travels to Baton Rouge for SEC Contest with #6 LSU

The Lady Vols look to end their regular season on a high note against the top-ranked Tigers

Feb. 26, 2026 at 2:20am

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The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team (16-10, 8-6 SEC) will travel to Baton Rouge to face the 6th-ranked LSU Tigers (24-4, 10-4 SEC) on Thursday evening. Tennessee is coming off a narrow loss at 11th-ranked Oklahoma, while LSU is riding high after a dominant home win over Missouri. This will be the 75th all-time meeting between the two programs, with Tennessee holding a 53-21 advantage in the series.

Why it matters

This game is an important SEC matchup between two top-25 teams as Tennessee looks to build momentum heading into the postseason. The Lady Vols have faced a brutal schedule this year, playing 8 of the current AP Top 10 teams, so a win over the highly-ranked Tigers would be a significant accomplishment.

The details

Tennessee is led by redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper, senior forward Janiah Barker, freshman guard Mia Pauldo, and senior forward Zee Spearman. The Lady Vols rank 7th nationally in 3-pointers made per game and have hit 10+ threes in 7 of their last 8 contests. LSU boasts the top scoring offense in the country, averaging 95.5 points per game, and features four players scoring in double figures, including Flau'jae Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Mikaylah Williams, and ZaKiyah Johnson.

  • Tennessee (16-10, 8-6 SEC) and LSU (24-4, 10-4 SEC) will tip off at 5:00pm CT (6:00pm ET) on Thursday, February 26th, 2026.
  • The game will be played at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The players

Talaysia Cooper

A 6-0 redshirt junior guard who leads Tennessee in scoring at 16.0 points per game.

Janiah Barker

A 6-4 senior forward who is averaging 14.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Lady Vols.

Kim Mulkey

The head coach of the LSU Tigers, in her 5th season at the helm. Mulkey is a legendary coach who has won national championships at both Baylor and LSU.

Flau'jae Johnson

A standout freshman guard for LSU who is averaging 14.3 points per game for the nation's top scoring offense.

MiLaysia Fulwiley

A junior guard for LSU who recently recorded her first career double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the Tigers' last game.

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What they’re saying

“We must be ready to face another top-ranked opponent, but our team is excited for the challenge. We've played a very tough schedule this season, and these types of games will only make us better as we prepare for the postseason.”

— Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee Redshirt Junior Guard

“LSU has an incredibly talented and deep roster, and we know we'll have our hands full trying to slow down their high-powered offense. But our team is confident and ready to compete against one of the best teams in the country.”

— Kim Caldwell, Tennessee Head Coach

What’s next

The winner of this game will have a strong case for a top seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament, which begins on March 5th.

The takeaway

This matchup between Tennessee and LSU features two of the top teams in the SEC and will be a key barometer for both programs as they prepare for the postseason. The Lady Vols' ability to slow down the Tigers' high-octane offense will be crucial in determining the outcome of this pivotal conference clash.