The basketball world suffered a tremendous loss on Tuesday when longtime Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt passed away after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Summitt helped popularize women’s basketball and was well respected for her work ethic and success with the Lady Volunteers. She also left a direct impression on several members of the Dream.
“I am at a loss for words,” said Meighan Simmons, who Summitt nicknamed “Speedy” while at Tennessee. “She was a great woman that helped mold me into the woman I am today.”
Simmons played at Tennessee in Summitt’s final two seasons. The guard who Summitt said was one of the fastest players she ever coached played an important role on her final Tennessee team, finishing third on the team in scoring.
“I’m just glad God put her in my life and allowed me to share special moments with her,” Simmons said.
Dream coach Michael Cooper lauded Summitt’s work for women in the sport. Cooper experienced life as a women’s basketball head coach at USC from 2009 to 2013. He’s in the midst of his 12th season as a coach in the WNBA.
“Pat Summitt revolutionized and fought for the advancement of the women’s game,” Cooper said. “She is one of the key people that was instrumental in the dream of the WNBA becoming a reality with her passion to advance the sport. We are all grateful and forever in debt for that dedication.”
Former Tennessee guard Cierra Burdick, who the Dream waived on Monday, shared her thoughts on Summitt via an Instagram post that featured the two embracing.
“You touched thousands of people across this world,” Burdick wrote. “You changed the game and paved the way for women’s sports. You brought women from all different backgrounds together to create an unbreakable family. You taught us how to be great on the court, but even more importantly, off of it.”
Burdick’s words represented the consensus held by many of those who spent time with Pat Summitt during her reign as queen of women’s basketball.
“Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your program, your tradition, your legacy,” Burdick wrote. “I love you. Rest easy up there, Big Time. Heaven just got a lot more passionate and competitive.”
