Early in the 2004/2005 season, Pat Summitt tied Adolph Rupp of Kentucky for second place in all-time wins by an NCAA women's or men's coach, with 876 victories. This milestone came as Tennessee defeated Auburn, 64-54, in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Greenville, South Carolina. As the season continued, the Lady Vols kept racking up wins and advancing in the NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the tournament, they defeated Western Carolina 94-43, allowing Pat Summitt to tie Dean Smith for first place on the all-time win list among NCAA men's or women's coaches, with 879 victories.

The Lady Vols continued their success in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Purdue 75-54 in the second round in Knoxville. This victory pushed Pat Summitt past North Carolina men's coach Dean Smith to become the NCAA's all-time winningest coach with 880 career victories. In a postgame ceremony, the UT administration surprised Summitt by announcing that the Thompson-Boling Arena court would be named "The Summitt" in honor of her remarkable coaching career.