Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2025-26

[VA_VOLFAN]

I actually saw that and had polar opposite thoughts. IMO it’s a very GOOD look for Duke WBB. To make such a heartbreaking decision for a group of young athletes whom I am sure would love nothing more than to play, was not only gutsy, but was so obviously from such a place of deep love and care for the current/future health and well-being of everyone in that program that it’s incredibly touching to me.

That Kara Lawson and the women she leads came to this decision isn’t actually surprising to me. Smart leaders leads smartly, and Kara has definitely thought this matter through to every possible conclusion. IMO she and her program will one day be so proud that they made this decision.

Will she get losses in her record column? I know this is about more than basketball but i wonder how it will impact those that continue to play...

 

[Terrells Bay88]

Would Duke cancelling their season will still be considered the right thing if the season pushes through in spite of Covid-19 like college football did?

 

[lvocd]

Would Duke cancelling their season will still be considered the right thing if the season pushes through in spite of Covid-19 like college football did?

Yes. Just ask the parents of each of those Duke players if putting their daughters’ health at the top of the priority list could ever, in any way and no matter how any of this turns out, have been a bad decision.

Lots of coaches talk the “family” talk, but Lawson is walking it today. I am immensely proud of her leadership.

 

[Tnphil]

A couple of weeks ago Finebaum had a infectious disease expert doctor from UAB in Birmingham, Al on his show. He was very interesting to listen to. His comment was that if the virus was in the current state it is right now across the country back in September he highly doubted football would have ever gotten started....Also said with the current virus issues and basketball being a indoor practice and game played sport he feels like basketball season will be very difficult to get through. Programs had a difficult time having issues after Thanksgiving and with the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching it will be a bigger issue beginning after the first of the year. Another good point was with football you can have 10-15-20 players out due to contact tracing etc and they can still play. With basketball if a team has 7-10 players out it will make it very difficult.

 

[1reVOLver]

Would Duke cancelling their season will still be considered the right thing if the season pushes through in spite of Covid-19 like college football did?

"...be considered the right thing...?

Considered by whom? What measure of right and wrong should "they" apply?

Here is no more than one personal opinion, by no means an attempt at a definitive, authoritative statement— as a fan of the sport, I want the entertainment of seeing games played. As a father, I want the health of the kids to be protected. As a member of a community, I appreciate and respect decisions that lower the risk of deadly illness for those with whom the team and staff have contact.

It's not, for me at least, a case of an obvious right and a clearly defined wrong.
We are suffering tough times that force difficult choices. Each of us has to make those choices every day, both for ourselves and for those around us. I have nothing but respect for the young women at Duke who have made their own choice.

As to pushing through as college football has... that's been a mixed bag. Some leagues and individual teams cancelled, others have missed games, some students have become ill. Yes, the season, such as it is, continues. It's early days to declare that a victory, especially when a large part of the motivation has been money, rather than sport. Again, right or wrong is often a function of getting what we want, and not necessarily what has more inherent value.

 

[FrozenLVFan]

Would Duke cancelling their season will still be considered the right thing if the season pushes through in spite of Covid-19 like college football did?

I don't think that's the right question. The real question is whether it's right for WCBB to push the season through in spite of the current COVID situation? Kudos to Duke for answering it.

 

[Terrells Bay88]

"...be considered the right thing...?

Considered by whom? What measure of right and wrong should "they" apply?

Here is no more than one personal opinion, by no means an attempt at a definitive, authoritative statement— as a fan of the sport, I want the entertainment of seeing games played. As a father, I want the health of the kids to be protected. As a member of a community, I appreciate and respect decisions that lower the risk of deadly illness for those with whom the team and staff have contact.

It's not, for me at least, a case of an obvious right and a clearly defined wrong.
We are suffering tough times that force difficult choices. Each of us has to make those choices every day, both for ourselves and for those around us. I have nothing but respect for the young women at Duke who have made their own choice.

As to pushing through as college football has... that's been a mixed bag. Some leagues and individual teams cancelled, others have missed games, some students have become ill. Yes, the season, such as it is, continues. It's early days to declare that a victory, especially when a large part of the motivation has been money, rather than sport. Again, right or wrong is often a function of getting what we want, and not necessarily what has more inherent value.

I was originally planned on putting the right thing in quotation marks. This past summer, I predicted that the money maker which is college football was going to be played no matter and the collegiate sports that didn't make as much money or none at all was going to be canceled.

 

[PG1]

This might strike up some controversy but I can see a women’s team voting and coming to this decision and I honestly believe more women’s teams will. 18-22 year old females are usually in school for education 1st then social life and sports after but men are there to play ball 1st in most cases. JMO.

 

[brassie]

"18-22 year old females are usually in school for education. . . . ." That statement should be qualified. I think that many 18 year old female jocks are in school for the opportunity to compete in athletics. The far end of the bench may be there for the education but the elite players are there for the game.

It will be interesting to see the conclusions at the end of the season (assuming it continues) will there be more player damage done by Covid or by injuries?

 

[Hoya Saxa]

Would Duke cancelling their season will still be considered the right thing if the season pushes through in spite of Covid-19 like college football did?

There have been players from teams all over the country who have chosen to opt out of the 2020-2021 season for safety reasons, even though the teams they are on are continuing to play. Whether the WCBB season continues without them or not doesn't make their individual decisions any more or less right for them.

Duke University did not cancel the WCBB team's season. The Duke players had a meeting, and several players decided that they would feel safer to opt out of the remainder of the season. Coach Lawson didn't have enough players willing to continue to be able to field a team. This decision was made by the players, not by Duke University.

The Duke men's team has decided to continue playing. Their decision is just as "right" for them as the women's decision to stop.

 

[Nute Gunray]

There have been players from teams all over the country who have chosen to opt out of the 2020-2021 season for safety reasons, even though the teams they are on are continuing to play. Whether the WCBB season continues without them or not doesn't make their individual decisions any more or less right for them.

Duke University did not cancel the WCBB team's season. The Duke players had a meeting, and several players decided that they would feel safer to opt out of the remainder of the season. Coach Lawson didn't have enough players willing to continue to be able to field a team. This decision was made by the players, not by Duke University.

The Duke men's team has decided to continue playing. Their decision is just as "right" for them as the women's decision to stop.

Thanks, Hoya Saxa, for this clarification of the cancellation of the Duke WCBB season for 2020-2021. This cancellation decision was made by the players which is as it should have been.

 

[WVU05UT09]

I don't think that's the right question. The real question is whether it's right for WCBB to push the season through in spite of the current COVID situation? Kudos to Duke for answering it.

That’s a question not looking for an answer because it doesn’t matter what the answer is. Absent a federal bailout the NCAA will not mi$$ another men$ tournament thi$ year. Period. Maybe it’s get delayed until summer but it’s happening. Since it would be a bad look to have the men continue and not the women they both will.

 

[charlie_1]

Certainly, I think everyone should make a determination for themselves with all the available data. I could not find data for healthy ladies in this age group and assume most Women basketball players are very healthy and fit. I read most people that catch the covid 19 do not have a serious illness. So, I tried to find numbers for this demographics but it is not easy to get definitive data. What I did find was all women between 15-24 years old the deaths as of Dec 23 is .009% or =187/20877151 also in this age group 187 deaths resulted from covid and 7,947 from everything including covid
per COVID-19 Provisional Counts - Weekly Updates by Select Demographic and Geographic Characteristics

 

[FrozenLVFan]

The death rate for that group of young women may be low, but the people they could spread the virus to may not be so fortunate.

 

[Bballnut1952]

The death rate for that group of young women may be low, but the people they could spread the virus to may not be so fortunate.

I was trying to think of a good way to say that. You did very well.

 

[Argonaut]

There is also the very real risk of myocarditis after Covid, which can happen in those without any actual Covid symptoms. Not that the heart is ever something you should gamble with, it’s especially concerning when you’re constantly doing an activity that results in high heart rates for prolonged periods of time — young or old.

 

[FrozenLVFan]

There is also the very real risk of myocarditis after Covid, which can happen in those without any actual Covid symptoms. Not that the heart is ever something you should gamble with, it’s especially concerning when you’re constantly doing an activity that results in high heart rates for prolonged periods of time — young or old.

Vandy has a player right now who's out for the season due to myocarditis following a mild case of COVID.

 

[LadyVol1908]

The look on the girl's faces, especially Andrea, says it all...
"This is Tennessee...Get the ball inside!"

That was one of my favorite teams to watch! This looks like the year we lost to Louisville in the EE!

 

[37620VOL]

What sane person thinks that these Duke women are actually going to stay in a bunker. I think they are more at risk than if they were continuing to play. Playing basketball is less risk than the things they are probably doing in lieu of basketball activities. WIth their BB season hinging on negative covid tests, there was a strong incentive to social distance. There may be other incentives for these women but a very strong one is now eliminated.

All athletes need to be regularly screened for myocarditis for the next few years. Otherwise, we just need to cancel the next few years because that is a serious risk.

 

[Hoosier]

The death rate for that group of young women may be low, but the people they could spread the virus to may not be so fortunate.

well, that's true, but you could say that about anybody --- hoopsters are no more likely to catch and spread the wuhan virus than anybody else

 

[1reVOLver]

Ole Miss and Syracuse have cancelled or postponed games, due to quarantines after members of their programs were either exposed to infected persons, or tested positive.

 

[djtee]

Samford Game Called Off

 

[creekdipper]

well, that's true, but you could say that about anybody --- hoopsters are no more likely to catch and spread the wuhan virus than anybody else

As alluded to in the popular and prescient tune by Blur way back in 2007.

 

[charlie_1]

Perhaps football should be banned because of the high number of brain injuries college and pro plays receive playing this sport. Here the incidence is much higher than covid and perhaps worse results in total. One of the largest studies on the subject to date finds that 110 out of 111 deceased NFL players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder associated with repetitive head trauma. Scientific studies have shown that the kind of repeated hits NFL players take is linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease. CTE is associated with memory loss, impulse control problems, depression and eventually dementia.

 

[Bballnut1952]

None of the UConn’s women’s team went home for the holidays. Seems like a really smart decision.

A different type of holiday break: UConn teams stay in Storrs