Two decades later, Brittany Jackson Tucker’s time with the University of Tennessee women’s basketball program still means the world to her.
As a starter on four straight Southeastern Conference tournament championship teams and a member of one of only three senior classes in the storied program’s history to make the Final Four each season, Jackson Tucker left her mark on Rocky Top as a sharpshooter playing for the legendary Pat Summitt.
Jackson Tucker’s 158 career 3-pointers are No. 8 on the all-time list for the Lady Volunteers, who have been a part of all 42 editions of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament and whose eight titles in the event are second only to the University of Connecticut’s 11. Her 82.4% success on free throws as a junior in 2003-04 is the 11th-best single-season mark in Lady Vols history.
“Coach Pat played a huge role in my life,” Jackson Tucker said. “What she taught me on and off the court has given me the tools to make a difference. Pat’s ‘Definite Dozen’ is something I implement every day in my family’s life. I take so much pride and honor in having played for her and am truly blessed to be called a Lady Vol.”
After finishing her standout prep career at Bradley Central with a state Miss Basketball award and being named to two All-American teams by Nike and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, she went on to help Tennessee to NCAA runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior and as a senior in 2005 was selected to the All-SEC tournament team.