Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Lady Vols were just described by ESPN in a way that will shock longtime Tennessee fans

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 8:49 PM ET

The Lady Vols are set to take on NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night in Ann Arbor.

NC State took down Tennessee in the season-opener in Greensboro in early November.

The Lady Vols are entering the NCAA Tournament on a seven-game losing streak. They're the first team in at least 20 years, according to CBS Sports, to enter the tournament on a seven-game losing streak.

Tennessee, a No. 10 seed this year, is the only program that's never missed the NCAA Tournament.

Expectations obviously aren't high for the Lady Vols after a frustrating season that included some off-the-court drama and a couple of the worst losses in program history.

As a result, ESPN described the Lady Vols this week as a potential "Cinderella" in the tourney.

That's right. The Lady Vols, a program that the legendary Pat Summitt turned into a college basketball juggernaut, have fallen to the point where a deep tourney run would be considered a Cinderella story.

Are the Volunteers the next Cinderella?

According to ESPN Analytics, the Lady Vols have the highest chance of any double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16

Tennessee is also the only women's team to appear in every tournament since its inception in 1982 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/VmBoXd6y8j
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 20, 2026

If you're a longtime Tennessee fan who watched Summitt guide the Lady Vols to eight national championships, it's probably unfathomable to hear the program described as a potential Cinderella.

But that's reality for Tennessee. The program hasn't been nearly the same since Summitt stepped down in 2012. And while no one was ever going to be able to fill Summitt's shoes, you'd still expect the program to be in a better place than it is today.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: