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What Bridgette Gordon told Lady Vols, Naomi White after FAMU exhibition
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- What Bridgette Gordon told Lady Vols, Naomi White after FAMU exhibition
It was a special moment for Naomi White in her first game with Lady Vols basketball .
Tennessee welcomed one of its legends, Florida A&M coach Bridgette Gordon. The Lady Vols dominated the exhibition matchup, as they should have, winning 132-63 on Oct. 27 at Food City Center .
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After the game, Gordon stayed on the court to talk with Tennessee players. There were smiles all around as they hugged Gordon and chatted with her.
She had a specific message for White, who had 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. Gordon said White was the one they knew would be tough for them to match up with.
"That's why I spoke to Naomi, because she can be that go-to player for them, and I told her that. I had a special moment with her," Gordon said. "I told her, 'I tried to get into your head, and you allowed me to. And I did that to show you that that's what people are going to do to you. That's what they do to the greats. But you got to stay even-keeled. Don't get high with the highs. Don't get low with the lows. Bring what you bring to the table, because you have to be the leader. And wherever you go, they're going to follow you.' "
White said she really appreciated the conversation, and it meant a lot to hear advice from Gordon, whose retired jersey hangs from the rafters.
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"For Bridgette to come up to us and have so many kind words to say to us, give us great advice so we can keep pushing and making moves forward, I just think that was great for her to do," White said.
Gordon gave the Tennessee players her phone number.
She passed on as much wisdom as possible in the few minutes on the court. Let the outside noise be noise. Stay together and keep everyone accountable. Cherish the moments. Be the best version of yourself. Remember the platform they have was built on what Gordon and her teammates did playing for legendary coach Pat Summitt.
"Summitt had me knowing every Lady Vol, whether I played with them, whether they came before me or after me, I know everybody. You guys got to keep that sisterhood going, because that's a sisterhood that everybody envy," Gordon said. "And then I riled them up, and I said, it starts with freaking defense. You be tough, you let your play do your talking. You stay classy, you stay competitive, and you'll bring Rocky Top and the Lady Vols right back to where they were supposed to be."
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Point guard Jada Eads said she'd never had an opposing coach come talk to her team before and give them so much advice and praise. It was eye-opening for Eads to see what it meant to Gordon to play for the Lady Vols.
Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell called it a special moment to see Gordon be welcomed back to the arena she helped raise national championship banners in 1987 and 1989.
"She is such a beautiful person and has a great light and pours into everyone she is around," Caldwell said. "Recruiting, she is so kind to every single coach that's around her. She's so nice to us. She did the same to our players today – a positive light who is, again, one of the most beautiful people that I have ever met, and I've just been around her a short period of time."
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women's athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll ; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social . Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Bridgette Gordon told Lady Vols, Naomi White after FAMU exhibition
