Tennessee State University Lady Tigers 2022-2023 Basketball Preview

Tennessee State University Lady Tigers basketball has released its 2022-23 season schedule and it’s nothing short of a demanding challenging schedule from top to bottom.

The Lady Tigers will have returning the big three of Gia Adams, Saniah Parker, and Sierra McCullough to help guide the Lady Tigers this upcoming season. Though the TSU Lady Tigers have a daunting challenging task ahead of themselves, it’ll most certainly have its benefits of preparing the team for tournament play in March and for years to come. However now, having players like Adams, Parker, and McCullough who has faced adversity and challenging tasks on a collegiate level has a different kind of experience that can’t be taught besides experience that can and will help lead the Lady Tigers throughout this season.

I reached out to Tennessee State University women’s head coach TY Evans and asked him how important it is having an experienced core of players that can help deal with a tough nonconference and conference schedule with a young team. Coach Evans said, “The experience that Gia, Snoop (Saniah Parker), and Sierra McCullough gained last year will prove to be invaluable as we embark on a tough nonconference schedule that includes perennial superpower Baylor on the road in December.”

Not only will the Lady Tigers face Big 12 Champions Baylor University, but TSU will also first hit the road in November to Kansas City to take on the University of Missouri-Kansas City Roos. The latter earned a trip to the WNIT last season with a winning record of 23-9. Later on, in the month of November, the Lady Tigers will travel to Indianapolis with a matchup against Butler on November 21.

Other notable nonconference games scheduled for the Lady Tigers are home matchups against Omaha on November 27, Lipscomb on December 3, then hit the road to take on Southern Illinois on December 7 and return home to the Gentry Center on December 11 with a home game against Stetson before traveling to Waco, Texas to take on Baylor December 15.

Ohio Valley Conference play kicks off at home on December 29 at the Gentry Center against Morehead State. The OVC Women’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled to run March 1-4 at the Ford Center located in Evansville, Indiana.

Sophomore Guard Gia Adams averaged 13.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.6 APG with 54 steals in 2021-2022. Sophomore Guard Saniah Parker averaged 7.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.7 APG with 15 blocks and 65 steals last season. Senior Forward Sierra McCullough averaged 5.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.2 APG had 16 blocks in 2021-2022. With Tennessee State Lady Tigers notching 119 steals between Adams and Parker alone and 31 blocks between Parker and McCullough together, it’s no secret the “Press Play” motto is real. The Lady Tigers like to dictate the tempo of the game from the tip. Coach Evans also stated, “All three started (Adams, Parker, McCullough) and played a huge role in changing the culture of TSU women’s basketball as we get ready to #PressPlay this upcoming season.”

The Lady Tigers 2022-2023 season kicks off November 7 at home against Fisk University under the leadership and guidance of head coach TY Evans, who is in his third year as head coach of Tennessee State Lady Tigers.