Texas Head Coach Karen Aston during first half vs TennesseeInside the Texas Trip to TennesseeDecember 11, 2017"Ariel Atkins strolled past the holiday parties taking place in the ballrooms and made her way to a private dining room at the Crowne Plaza. The
Texas women's basketball team had just arrived in Knoxville to play Tennessee the following afternoon in a nationally-televised showdown between unbeatens. As music pulsated from within the nearby walls, Atkins grabbed a plate and made her way through the buffet line of chicken, coleslaw, corn on the cob, salad and rolls.
The senior guard has prepared for many big games in her decorated career, and doesn't get tangled in superstitions. There are too many variables on road trips to worry about eating the same meal or sitting in the same seat every time. Atkins prefers to roll with whatever is thrown her way and appreciate the challenge every unique atmosphere presents.
"Someone asked me in an interview the other day who you look forward to playing most at Tennessee, and I was like, 'Tennessee. The entire place,'" Atkins said as a light snow dusted the street outside.
"People love Tennessee women's basketball. It is so much fun to be in an environment where people are passionate about women's basketball. There are not a lot of environments like this. It's just amazing."Texas provided The Summitt with an all-access look at how the Longhorns prepared for their game against Tennessee once they landed in Knoxville on their charter flight. From the team meal the night before to the pregame speech in the locker room to the post-game reflections, Texas gave a window into its program's dynamics.
The Longhorns arrived with an unscathed record and No. 2 ranking, and left with sore bodies and a few lessons learned.
The Texas bus rolled into Thompson-Boling Arena for a 9 a.m. shoot-around. As the players streamed onto the court to escape the chilly air, many were taking photos or recording video on their phones.
Washington Mystics head coach Mike Thibault and his son, Eric, were sitting in the stands awaiting the team's arrival. They would be staying all day to scout both teams. Thibault greeted Texas associate head coach Tina Thompson with a big hug and exchanged pleasantries with other members of the Texas staff.
ESPN commentators Debbie Antonelli and Beth Mowins soon arrived and grabbed a courtside seat to watch the team run through half-court sets and inbound plays. Antonelli was completing a Tennessee doubleheader, having called the men's game on Saturday afternoon.
Few programs can boast a "scout" team for shoot-around that includes a four-time WNBA champion and former NCAA Comeback Player of the Year, but Thompson and Jamie Carey give Texas that luxury. The Texas assistants spent nearly 30 minutes denying the post and entry passes during 5-on-5 sets.
Texas head coach Karen Aston sensed a lack of focus at one point, and reminded the players it could cost them during the game.
The 39th all-time meeting between No. 2 Texas and No. 11 Tennessee would be an early-season barometer for the storied programs. It would have a postseason-like feel without the one-and-done ramifications.
The Longhorns have been playing without sophomore post
Joyner Holmes. The reigning Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year is suspended for the fall semester due to an unspecified university violation.
She is not enrolled in classes and cannot travel or practice with the team. How Texas will look once Holmes returns is something Aston can't answer. She is focused on the daily process of working with the players available right now.
After the Longhorns finish the hour-long shoot-around with free throws, they gather at mid-court, raise their fists and yell "win" on three.
Aston chats with Antonelli and Mowins before filming a quick spot for the program's social media accounts. The team boards the bus and heads back to the hotel for rest and a pregame meal.
#23 Ariel AtkinsAtkins began keeping a journal during high school, and has written about anything in everything in her life ever since. She brings a journal on every road trip, and catalogs different memories or feelings.
"I have never finished a journal. It's kind of like how you never finish a ChapStick," Atkins said. "I want to finish one so bad, but then I see a new one at the store and think, 'Oh God. That is nice. I am just going to start writing in this one.'"
Atkins is determined to fill the final page of the journal chronicling her senior season. Where the Tennessee trip fits into the arc remains to be seen. Her old journals are tucked away in a closet at home, always available if reflection is needed.
"I do read them, especially when I'm having kind of an overwhelming day," said the introspective former top-ranked recruit. "I just go back and read them and realize I have come so far and this is really nothing compared to the past."
After her basketball career ends, Atkins wants to start a business that uses basketball and education to help young children.
"I think it's important people find ways to reach kids beyond money. If you give a kid $10, they are going to spend it and come back for more. But if you give a kid a different way to view life, they are going to want to learn more. It has more value,"
Atkins said. "My mom always told me, 'Be somebody that you needed,' and that is what I am trying to do. I just want to be somebody who kids can look up to and be a good role model. I want to show them perfection isn't a thing, but if you strive for excellence some pretty good things are attainable."
Atkins and senior backcourt mate Brooke McCarty were the first two McDonald's All-Americans to sign with Aston at Texas. The native Texans have been the foundation for the program the last four years. Their chemistry and leadership has lifted the Longhorns back to national prominence.
"The vibe is definitely different your senior year. Every day you realize that this could be it. There is more of an urgency," Atkins said. "Coach used to tell us all the time seniors have more urgency than younger players and I never understood it because I was busting my butt every day and thought I wanted it just as bad as the next person. But now I realize it is my last year and the last time I will be wearing a UT uniform."
Texas designates one road trip each season to bring donors along. The boosters travel on the charter, ride on the bus and eat meals with the team. The game against Tennessee was an obvious destination point this season. Dr. Julia Hickman and her husband, Dr. Cecil Reynolds, have been Texas season ticket holders for 30 years and has traveled with the Longhorns on every road trip for the last 27 years.
They take a seat directly behind the Texas bench at Thompson-Boling Arena and prepare to witness another another game between the top-five winningest programs in the history of women's basketball.
The Texas team's slogan this year is "Family Over Everything," and Hickman is carrying a sign saying "We Believe N Family" with autographs covering every inch of white space.
"I am like the group mom. Whoever needs a hug, whoever needs a smile, whoever needs a 'Get Em,' that is what I do," Hickman said. "We don't have big families, so the staff, the players and the fans at Texas, they are our family. They are very special to us and we love everything about it."
Hickman is familiar with this area of the country. She grew up in Alabama and once owned a home in Chattanooga, Tennessee for eight years.
"When it comes to women's basketball, we feel a bond with the opposing fans no matter who it is," Hickman said. "Our fans know the parents, kids and grandparents of all the current and former players, and I know it's the same for most other fan bases. It's important the kids at every school are supported all the time."
Her concern goes far beyond basketball. In 2013, Hickman and Reynolds donated money to establish the Julia Hickman and Cecil Reynolds Team Spirit Fellowship to support female student-athletes who have completed their eligibility and are pursuing a postgraduate degree at Texas.
"Our fan base is behind us no matter what and you need people in your life like that," Atkins said. "It's not only the fan base, but everyone that surrounds UT. From the professors to the coaches, everyone here is so supportive of your dreams and goals and what you want to do. It's just fun to be in a family environment, and Texas pride runs deep."
Few venues can get rocking like Thompson-Boling Arena, and the Tennessee faithful are starting to realize the Lady Vols are legit this season after a few inconsistent years. They sense the team's improved chemistry and revitalization behind a core of experienced players and four talented freshmen. Nearly 10,000 showed up to watch the weekend's marquee Top 25 match-up and provided full-throttled electricity. Tennessee increased the magnitude by honoring three of its national championship teams from the 1987, 1997 and 2007 seasons.
Texas knows what it's walking into. Nine minutes before tip-off, the Longhorns gathered in the visiting locker room with Aston going over a few tactical reminders written on the whiteboard.
"The last thing I'll say to ya'll is this should be fun. I say that a lot, but again, you come here to play in these kind of games. You come here to play in these kind of traditional games,"
Aston said. "This has been going on for over 30 years. You play this game because you love basketball. You play this game because it is a showcase game for women's basketball, so the only thing I ask of you is to play it in the honor of the game. Play it the way it's supposed to be played and give it your best effort."
Texas immediately fell behind Tennessee, and spent the entire afternoon working to fight back. Atkins stroked a left-handed jumper to pull Texas even at 29 to start the second half, but Tennessee freshman Evina Westbrook answered with a 3-pointer and the Lady Vols (10-0) kept Texas (7-1) at bay for the remainder of the 82-75 win.
Although not always pretty, the game was compelling, intense and physical. There were technical fouls, stare downs and bodies strewn across the floor. Three Texas players fouled out, another left with an injury (Jordan Hosey) and Atkins was badly shaken up in a second-half collision.
McCarty struggled to find her rhythm, finishing 2 of 15 from the field with eight points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Atkins and Lashann Higgs tried to keep Texas within striking distance, but poor shot selection, turnovers and Tennessee offensive rebounds stymied the Longhorn's comeback hopes.
"Quite honestly, it didn't look like we were a very well-coached team today," Aston said. "I will definitely go back in film, do a better job, because our team didn't look very well-coached. That bothers me because I like to pay a lot of attention to detail. We didn't look very detail-oriented today."
Aston expected Tennessee to be hungry to snap a three-game losing streak in the series, and wanted to see how her team dealt with adversity in a hostile environment.
"I kind of felt like we were going to run into that, where they would be very determined, and we didn't respond to that very well,"
Aston said. "That is what I learned about our team, that we're not quite ready to respond to somebody popping you in the mouth. Because we got popped today, and we'll get better from this. There's no question."
After the players showered and packed their bags, they boarded the bus for the airport. The charter flight home would be much quieter following the first loss of the young season.
The Longhorns don't have much time to stew. They play Northwestern State in three days and have another big game against No. 12 Florida State on the weekend.
Atkins was tight-lipped in the aftermath of the loss, saying Texas needed to get physically and mentally tougher. She will likely save a more detailed account of the road trip for her journal, where her true emotions can flow freely through the written word.
"I am not a fan of losing by any means, but you can't fixate on it because then you miss everything," Atkins said. "That is what I don't want to do my senior year. I don't want to miss anything. I want to be focused and enjoy it."
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article by Rhiannon Potkey, summithoops.com-
photos gathered from the web