Cary mom shows no distance is too far to watch your kids in the NCAA Tournament
Posted March 22, 2024 7:47 p.m. EDT
Updated March 22, 2024 8:24 p.m. EDT
Outside a home in Cary, North Carolina, two faded team flags blow in the wind.
On the inside, Tammy Brown wears two women's basketball jerseys. It's for her daughters, Tamari and Teonni Key.
Tamari Key plays basketball for the Tennessee Lady Vols and Teonni Key plays for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Being a basketball mom, Brown has worn a lot of hats.
"I've had to pretty much master it all just to make everything work with both of them," Brown smiled.
She's committed, not just as a mom, but as a fan. Brown has been to a lot of games this season.
"Over 40," she said.
She's traveled to Chapel Hill; Knoxville, Tennessee and other games on the road. Some games require driving, others flying to see her daughters play.
"It does take patience, it does take planning," Brown said.
Brown makes a spreadsheet at the beginning of each year to keep track of the schedule.
"Where they're playing, who they're playing, color-coded light blue and orange of course," she said.
For the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Tamari and Tennessee will play in Raleigh, while Teonni and UNC play in Columbia, South Carolina. She said it's not too far of a drive to watch both of her kids play in the NCAA Tournament.
"So, the plans are to get up and drive to South Carolina for the game," Brown said.
On Saturday in Raleigh, Brown plans to attend the Tennessee versus Green Bay game. On Sunday, she plans to go to UNC's second-round game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina.
If the Lady Vols advance to the second round, she'll head back to Raleigh.
"Back and forth, back and forth, that's what I do and I'm excited about it," Brown said.
"She's our rock," Tamari Key said before Tennessee's practice on Friday morning. "She's been there for us since we were little, and we obviously wouldn't be in this position that we are without her, so just knowing that she's in the game, and looking over in the stands, I can also hear her voice in most of the games too, so it's special."
There have been hardships: Tamari dealt with blood clots in her lungs last season. She had to sit out for the majority of the year while undergoing treatment. Teonni. a McDonald's All-American, tore her ACL during a preseason scrimmage her freshman year.
But both have battled through. Tamari has the most blocks in program history, which is saying something when that program is Tennessee women's basketball. Teonni meanwhile had a season-high 21 minutes to go along with five points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
"It was even more important when they were going through the struggles, just making sure you know, regardless of what they're going through, I'm going to be there," Brown said.
Brown is their rock, their fan, but most importantly, their mom.
"They are reflections of their mother ... the strength and the courage and just being able to see their journey and knowing that, we did it. We made it through and they continue to make me proud every day," Brown said.
No. 6 Tennessee will play 11-seed Green Bay at noon ET Saturday. No. 8 seed North Carolina will play No. 1 seed South Carolina on Sunday in Columbia. The Lady Vols could potentially face 3-seed NC State on Monday.
