Following the replacement of Holly Warlick in the offseason, Tennessee was left out of the preseason Associated Press poll for the first time in program history. The Lady Vols entered the rankings for the first time this season following a win against then-ranked Notre Dame and currently occupy the No. 23 spot with a 15-3 record. Their three losses were at the hands of an up-and-down Texas team by six; Stanford, by a 27-point margin; and then-No. 13 Kentucky by four points.