April 6, 2026, 5:05 a.m. ET
Lady Vols basketball has to change nearly its whole roster going into Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell’s third season.
Seven of Tennessee’s eight possible returners will enter the transfer portal after the season ended with a loss within the first spherical of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program historical past.
The transfer portal window for instant eligibility begins the day after the nationwide championship and can be open April 6-20. Grad transfers could enter the portal at any time.
Here’s what you want to know about Tennessee’s roster and the transfer portal.
Who is at the moment on Tennessee’s projected 2026-27 roster?
The Lady Vols’ lone returning participant is at the moment freshman guard Jaida Civil. Civil was one in all Tennessee’s most improved gamers all through the season, averaging 6.4 factors, 4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 18.8 minutes in all 30 video games whereas capturing 41.5% from the sector.
Tennessee misplaced 4 seniors to commencement. Talaysia Cooper, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo and Deniya Prawl all both introduced their intentions to enter the portal or will reportedly enter the portal.
Tennessee initially had two gamers signed in its 2026 class. Five-star ahead Oliviyah Edwards, who’s a McDonald’s All-American, and four-star wing Gabby Minus.
Edwards, who’s ranked No. 2 within the class by ESPN, reportedly requested to be released from her signing April 4. The 6-foot-3 ahead out of Tacoma, Washington, was the highest-ranked recruit to signal with Tennessee since Jordan Horston, who was additionally ranked No. 2 by ESPN in 2019.
Minus, 6-1, is the No. 3 participant out of Georgia, in accordance to 247Sports Composite. She returned midway by means of final season from a knee harm and received a state championship with Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, Georgia. Minus had seven factors and 13 rebounds within the title sport.
What do Lady Vols want out of transfer portal?
If Tennessee can maintain Civil and Minus, it is going to have up to 13 roster spots to fill for subsequent season.
The Lady Vols want to add gamers at each place, ideally with some underclassmen to construct out the roster once more. But an important form of gamers Tennessee wants are ones who will purchase into Caldwell’s system.
Tennessee desperately wants robust 3-point shooters, which was one in all its most obvious weaknesses this season. The Lady Vols shot 30.5% on 30.5 makes an attempt per sport from 3-point vary in the course of the 2025-26 season, down from their 32.5% on 31 makes an attempt per sport in the course of the 2024-25 season. Their capturing was inconsistent, they usually did not have sufficient dependable shooters to take as many 3-pointers as they did.
Caldwell additionally wants athletes who can execute her full-court press, which was a lot weaker this season than her first season. She stated lack of constant rotations contributed to the shortage of success with the press. Expect Caldwell to go after the depth to have the constant, full-lineup rotations like her first season.
Who would possibly Tennessee go after in transfer portal?
Tennessee already supplied Esmeralda Enriquez, who’s coming off an NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship with Eastern Arizona. Enriquez was named the MVP of this system’s first nationwide title, averaging 18 factors within the match.
The sophomore began in 31 of 35 video games, averaging 15.7 factors, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24 minutes per sport. Enriquez shot 45.7% from the sector and 44.8% on 3-pointers.
The 5-8 guard began her school profession at North Idaho College. She ought to have two years of eligibility remaining.
Florida State’s main scorer Solé Williams is reportedly coming into the portal. The junior guard, who began her profession at Texas A&M, averaged 15.1 factors, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 30.2 minutes. She shot 41% from the sector and 32.5% on 3-pointers.
Former Florida State affiliate head coach Bill Ferrara was hired to UT’s staff on March 30. There’s an opportunity Williams may observe her assistant coach to her new college.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee girls’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.corridor@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support robust native journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
