# 2020–21 Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team

The 2020–21 Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2020–21 college basketball season. Led by former Lady Vol Kellie Harper, entering her second year as head coach, the team played their games at Thompson–Boling Arena and are members of the Southeastern Conference.

## Previous season

The 2019–20 team finished the season 21–10, 10–6 for a third-place tie in SEC play. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament to Kentucky.

## Preseason
### SEC media poll

The SEC media poll was released on November 17, 2020 with the Lady Volunteers selected to finish in sixth place in the SEC.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | South Carolina |
| 2 | Kentucky |
| 3 | Texas A&M |
| 4 | Arkansas |
| 5 | Mississippi State |
| 6 | Tennessee |
| 7 | LSU |
| 8 | Alabama |
| 9 | Georgia |
| 10 | Missouri |
| 11 | Ole Miss |
| 12 | Florida |
| 13 | Vanderbilt |
| 14 | Auburn |

### Preseason All-SEC teams

Rennia Davis was selected to the preseason all-SEC team, her third-straight honor.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | | | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 25 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 14 | 14 | | | | | |
| Coaches | RV | RV | | | | RV | RV | 24 | RV | 22 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | | | | | | | |
^Coaches' Poll did not release a second poll at the same time as the AP.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| 11/27/2020* 1:00 pm, SECN+ | | Florida A&M | | | | | | Thompson–Boling Arena Knoxville, TN |
| 11/28/2020* 2:00 pm, SECN+ | | Western Kentucky | W 87–47 | 1–0 | 18 – Burrell | 11 – Davis | 7 – Burrell | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,239) Knoxville, TN |
| 12/1/2020* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | ETSU | W 67–50 | 2–0 | 20 – Burrell | 8 – Suarez | 3 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,156) Knoxville, TN |
| 12/6/2020* 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at West Virginia Big 12/SEC Women's Challenge | L 73–79 $^{OT}$ | 2–1 | 18 – Burrell | 9 – Green | 6 – Davis | WVU Coliseum (142) Morgantown, WV |
| 12/10/2020* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Furman | W 90–53 | 3–1 | 26 – Burrell | 8 – Suarez | 7 – Burrell | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,137) Knoxville, TN |
| 12/13/2020* 5:00 pm, ESPN | | at No. 23 Texas | | | | | | Frank Erwin Center Austin, TX |
| 12/17/2020* 4:00 pm | | at No. 15 Indiana | W 66–58 | 4–1 | 19 – Davis | 15 – Davis | 6 – Horston | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN |
| 12/20/2020* Noon, SECN | | UNC Greensboro | W 66–40 | 5–1 | 13 – Kushkituah | 7 – Suarez | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,114) Knoxville, TN |
| 12/28/2020* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Lipscomb | W 77–52 | 6–1 | 19 – Davis | 11 – Davis | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,141) Knoxville, TN |
| 1/7/2021 6:30 pm, SECN | | No. 13 Arkansas | W 88–73 | 7–1 (1–0) | 26 – Tied | 11 – Davis | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,143) Knoxville, TN |
| 1/10/2021 2:00 pm, SECN+ | | at LSU | W 64–63 | 8–1 (2–0) | 18 – Burrell | 9 – Davis | 2 – Tied | Maravich Center (762) Baton Rouge, LA |
| 1/14/2021 6:30 pm, SECN | No. 23 | Georgia | L 66–67 | 8–2 (2–1) | 15 – Davis | 7 – Kushkituah | 4 – Horston | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,167) Knoxville, TN |
| 1/17/2021 3:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 23 | at Alabama | W 82–56 | 9–2 (3–1) | 21 – Davis | 10 – Davis | 7 – Horston | Coleman Coliseum (914) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 1/21/2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 25 | No. 3 UConn Rivalry | L 61–67 | 9–3 | 18 – Burrell | 9 – Tied | 5 – Walker | Thompson–Boling Arena (3,553) Knoxville, TN |
| 1/24/2021 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 25 | No. 12 Kentucky Rivalry | W 70–53 | 10–3 (4–1) | 19 – Key | 20 – Davis | 7 – Horston | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,609) Knoxville, TN |
| 1/28/2021 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 20 | Ole Miss | W 68–67 | 11–3 (5–1) | 21 – Davis | 8 – Kushkituah | 4 – Salary | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,167) Knoxville, TN |
| 1/31/2021 2:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 20 | Florida | W 79–65 | 12–3 (6–1) | 23 – Key | 12 – Kushkituah | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,409) Knoxville, TN |
| 2/11/2021 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 16 | at No. 20 Kentucky Rivalry | L 56–71 | 12–4 (6–2) | 22 – Burrell | 9 – Walker | 3 – Horston | Memorial Coliseum (1,683) Lexington, KY |
| 2/14/2021 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 16 | at No. 6 Texas A&M | L 70–80 | 12–5 (6–3) | 25 – Davis | 10 – Key | 7 – Horston | Reed Arena (500) College Station, TX |
| 2/16/2021 5:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Mississippi State | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Humphrey Coliseum Starkville, MS |
| 2/18/2021 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 21 | No. 2 South Carolina | W 75–67 | 13–5 (7–3) | 24 – Davis | 12 – Davis | 5 – Horston | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,512) Knoxville, TN |
| 2/21/2021 Noon, SECN | No. 21 | at No. 22 Georgia | L 55–57 | 13–6 (7–4) | 22 – Davis | 13 – Kushkituah | 1 – Tied | Stegeman Coliseum Athens, GA |
| 2/25/2021 8:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 20 | at Missouri | W 78–73 | 14–6 (8–4) | 26 – Davis | 10 – Walker | 6 – Horston | Mizzou Arena (1,828) Columbia, MO |
| 2/28/2021 2:00 pm, SECN | No. 20 | Auburn | W 88–54 | 15–6 (9–4) | 23 – Davis | 11 – Davis | 9 – Horston | Thompson–Boling Arena Knoxville, TN |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 5, 2021 8:30 pm, SECN | (3) No. 14 | vs. (11) Ole Miss Quarterfinals | W 77–72 | 16–6 | 33 – Davis | 14 – Davis | 5 – Horston | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| March 6, 2021 6:30 pm, ESPNU | (3) No. 14 | vs. (2) No. 7 South Carolina Semifinals | L 52–67 | 16–7 | 11 – Tied | 6 – Tied | 3 – Burrell | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2021 2:00 pm, ABC | (3 RW) No. 13 | vs. (14 RW) Middle Tennessee First Round | W 87–62 | 17–7 | 24 – Davis | 14 – Tied | 6 – Horston | Frank Erwin Center Austin, TX |
| March 23, 2021 ABC | (3 RW) No. 13 | vs. (6 RW) No. 16 Michigan Second Round | L 55–70 | 17–8 | 12 – Davis | 9 – Key | 2 – Walker | Alamodome San Antonio, TX |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. RW=River Walk regional. All times are in Eastern Time. 2020–21 Schedule |||||||||