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I somewhat inadvertently checked in on my adopted Lady Vols basketball team last night, playing for an SEC tournament title. That would make 16, by the way. To go with 8 national championships and nearly 1100 wins. It didn't really feel like they were in any threat of losing, though it was close. You're darn right the whole thing was bittersweet. Coach Summitt is the greatest basketball coach on Earth, (arguably) but little by little, she's being deprived of herself. It's early-onset dementia. We don't know if this season is her last. We don't know how fast it's progressing. It's very likely that Tennessee will remain one of the top programs in women's college basketball, but as soon as Summitt leaves, they will decline. They are like a veritable Death Star on most days; like most dominant schools in college sports, they beat opponents on pure intimidation. Even the teams that challenge them define themselves in opposition. Geno Auriemma of Connecticut may one day surpass Summitt in wins or titles, having become the Lady Vols' foil, but no one doubts who has defined the sport and propelled it to prominence.
This untested, somewhat young team--who've already lost more games than in a typical season at Tennessee--needs to win the national title. They need to add to the legend with their own considerable talents, because their leader may not have much more to give them, having already given so much.

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