Lady Vols basketball left with player after top recruit
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- Oliviyah Edwards requested a release from her national letter of intent with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, making her a free agent and leaving the program with just one player on the roster for next season.
- Jaida Civil entered the transfer portal, adding to the wave of departures from the Lady Vols.
- Kim Caldwell, the second‑year head coach, saw every remaining player with eligibility enter the transfer portal, while seniors Janiah Barker and Zee Spearman will graduate, leaving only incoming freshman Gabby Minus.
- Lady Vols finished the 2025‑26 season 16‑14, endured an eight‑game losing streak, a 30‑point loss to UConn, and seven defeats by 15 points or more—the most in four decades.
- Tennessee entered the season with the nation’s No. 10 recruiting class, but after Edwards’ decommitment the program will fall out of the top‑25 rankings.
- Edwards was a McDonald’s All‑American and the highest‑ranked recruit to sign under Caldwell, choosing Tennessee over offers from USC, South Carolina, LSU, Florida, and Washington.
- Trinity Jones, a No. 11 recruit in the class of 2026, was released from her letter of intent with Clemson the same week, marking a second five‑star recruit to become available.
Why it matters: The exodus leaves Tennessee’s women’s basketball with a skeletal roster, eroding its competitive depth and causing the program to drop out of the top‑25 recruiting rankings, which threatens Coach Caldwell’s ability to rebuild and diminishes fan and donor support for the Lady Vols.
