Eight Tennessee women's basketball players enter transfer portal, leaving one on roster

Kim Caldwell has coached two seasons at Tennessee. Carly Mackler / Getty Images Share full article1Tennessee women’s basketball is heading into next season without returning players after all eight Volunteers opted to enter the transfer portal following the Lady Vols’ rare first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament. The disappointing season finish capped off a rough final stretch in which Tennessee went on an eight-game skid to complete the season, including a winless March for the first time in program history, and the Vols finished the season with a 16-14 record. “After much thought, conversation, & soul-searching we have decided to enter the transfer portal,” freshman twins Mya and Mia Pauldo wrote in a statement on Instagram. “We’d like to thank the coaching staff for the opportunity to be part of the Lady Vol family. Thank you to our teammates whom we’ve formed a sisterhood with. Thank you for your energy and support. Excited to accept the challenge of the next phase in our journey.” Oliviyah Edwards, the No. 2 recruit in the SC Next 100 class of 2026, has decommitted from the school. Gabby Minus, a four-star wing, is the lone player set for next season’s team. The Lady Vols were already graduating four seniors, including Janiah Barker and Zee Spearman, when the statements began circulating on social media: transfer portal, transfer portal, transfer portal. Some have already announced new schools, such as junior Alyssa Latham, who will play for Virginia Tech. Others seeking a new school to transfer to include Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, Jaida Civil, Deniya Prawl and Talaysia Cooper. Tennessee, historically a women’s tournament powerhouse, hasn’t won the title since 2008. In Tennessee’s game on Feb. 8 against South Carolina, the Volunteers lost 93-50, the program’s largest defeat. Tennessee lost to UConn by 30 points one week before that. In her first season last year, coach Kim Caldwell brought Tennessee to the Sweet Sixteen, but will now be looking to fill an entirely new roster after one of the program’s lowest seasons. She has a $4 million buyout, and her contract runs through 2030. Caldwell called the 2025-26 season “the worst year of my professional career” and said “our players deserve better than that from me.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Rebecca Tauber is a Staff Editor on The Athletic’s news team. Before joining The Athletic, she worked at Denverite and Colorado Public Radio. She grew up in Lower Merion, Pa., and is a graduate of Williams College.