On December 6, Tennessee center Tamari Key missed her first game in her over three-year collegiate career. Following the absence, it was announced that Key would miss the remainder of the season due to blood clots found in her lungs.

This devastating news caused an emotional matchup with Wright State on Sunday. The game marked the first time Key would return to Thompson-Boling Arena following the announcement.

As the Lady Vols cruised to a 96-57 win, Key was forced to look on from the sideline. However, even without touching the court, she was still showered with support from her team and the fans in the arena.

In an effort to show the 6-foot-6 senior that she was at the forefront of everyone's mind, Kellie Harper and the Tennessee coaching staff sported Key's NIL shirt from Orange Mountain Designs.

"It actually was something that our Director of Ops Catherine Greene and I discussed and tried to figure out what we could do, what made sense, and we were able to put it together," said Harper. "It was just our show of support for her and what she is going through. It is still early, still fresh, especially for her at this point. We knew tonight was hard. It was her first miss, and we want to make sure she knows she is supported through this as well."

Along with the coaching staff, fans around the stadium were spotted in Key's shirts. They also echoed support from the stands as she walked in during warmups.

Tennessee may be missing its star center's production of 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, one assist and 3.5 blocks per game she averaged a year ago on the court, but Key still plays a big role on the team from the bench.

"You know, it's really tough. It's hard to take in, just knowing somebody is not going to be able to be out there with us that had such a big impact," said forward Sara Puckett. "But we're very thankful that she's good now, and she's going to be okay, and that they were able to catch it early. You know, she still has a big role on the team, and she's going to be a big voice for us, and I think that's really good for us. It's just something we need, a consistent voice there. But we're pretty good, we're doing okay now. We let it soak in, and then we're going to bounce back. You know, we're playing for her now, too."

This isn't the first time a leader has been sidelined under Harper, though. Just a year ago, Keyen Green suffered a season-ending injury and was forced to sit out for the rest of the season. Despite this setback, she took a role as a vocal leader on the bench.

Harper thinks that Key could draw from watching a former teammate go through a similar struggle.

"Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you look at it, I think last year when Keyen Green was injured and couldn't play anymore, she still had a voice," said Harper. "She still had a positive connection to the team, so I do think Tamari (Key) has a blueprint of what it could look like."

On the floor, Key's absence left a hole in the starting lineup. In the two games since her departure, Karoline Striplin has entered the starting rotation. She's averaged 6.5 points, four rebounds, an assist, 1.5 steals and a block per game in her pair of starts.

However, Sunday's contest also marked the return of Jasmine Franklin after she entered concussion protocol. Franklin instantly made an impact off the bench at the center position in the win.

In 13 minutes of play, she shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for 14 points. She also added three rebounds.

"I think (Franklin) is a presence, offensively, for us in the paint," said Harper. "She is a little bit undersized relative to other SEC post players, but she is so aggressive, and she is so explosive she makes up for a lot of that.

"We don't need her to be anybody but herself, because I think right now, she is playing well and that's really good for us and that is a presence that we need. Defensively, because she is a ball hawk, she sometimes over-helps. So we're going to continue to work on what her defense needs to look like moving forward. But I am proud of the adjustments that she made tonight, and I am proud of the work she did."

It is almost impossible to fully replace Key's impact as a scorer and shot blocker, but the Lady Vols' depth puts them in a position to still find success.

Of course, the team is still focused on winning, but the primary concern still lies with Key's physical and mental health. It isn't above the Lady Vols to recognize some things are bigger than basketball.

"I think that we are constantly monitoring all of our players in that space and making sure our players' mental health is taken care of, and they have resources available to them, and that is all of them," said Harper. "Some players have injuries, but some have to process teammate's injuries. It is not easy. I think the best thing for us to do is obviously, continue to support Tamari (Key), but also continue to find ways for her to be engaged with the team and continue to find ways to challenge her to help this team. She can still have a very important role on this team."

Next up for Tennessee is the final game of a six-match homestand against UCF on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Then, the Lady Vols will travel to face No. 2 Stanford on Sunday.

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