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Lady Vols basketball signee Oliviyah Edwards has requested to be released from her signing with Tennessee, according to a report from On3.
The five-star forward was named a McDonald's All-American on Feb. 2 and Tennessee's first commitment of the 2026 class. Edwards' announcement comes after Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell's second season ended with the worst winning percentage in program history at 16-14 (.552) and an exodus of the returning roster.
Seven of Tennessee's eight returners announced intentions to enter the transfer portal after Caldwell's second season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo and Talaysia Cooper are all reportedly entering the portal when the window opens April 6-20. Freshman guard Jaida Civil is the only returner left.
Edwards just participated in the McDonald's All-American Game, and during media the day before said she was "very excited" to get to Tennessee at the McDonald's All-American Game media day on March 30.
"I think I’ll show a lot of growth, especially with playing against girls that are as good as me every single day," Edwards said about Tennessee. "I feel like the change of pace will be good for me. And all in all, I’m just excited to be with that family."
"(Edwards will) be one that I think will be special to watch," Caldwell said in November. "She’s a great kid. She wants to get better. She wants to win. She is selfless in every aspect of, hey, we need to do what it takes to win. And to do that at a young age, especially when she has had the attention and notoriety around her, it speaks volumes of her character."
Edwards is ranked No. 2 in the class by ESPN and is one of the most sought-after players in the country. The 6-foot-3 prospect out of Tacoma, Washington, chose the Lady Vols over South Carolina, USC, LSU, Florida and Washington.
Edwards had official visits set up with South Carolina and LSU, but committed to Tennessee on Sept. 13 before taking them.
Edwards committed while on her official visit to UT while Lady Vols legend Candace Parker was in Knoxville for the Tennessee football game against Georgia. Parker was also the "College GameDay" guest picker.
Edwards was a significant addition for the Lady Vols and added to Tennessee's remarkable turnaround in high school recruiting. She was the highest-ranked signee since Jordan Horston signed with UT in the 2019 class, and Edwards was set to join the 2025 class that ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Edwards was joined in Tennessee's 2026 class by four-star guard Gabby Minus, who is ranked No. 45 in the class, according to 247Sports Composite.
Edwards had prior relationships with Prawl and Tennessee freshmen Mia and Mya Pauldo through playing at Overtime Select.
Edwards' departure before even reaching campus is a blow for the program's image. Parker and Edwards are also connected through Adidas, which signed Edwards as part of its NIL class in May. Parker is the president of Adidas women's basketball. By the time Edwards' freshman year would have begun, Tennessee will once again be an Adidas school.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Oliviyah Edwards requests release from signing with Lady Vols, per report
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The five-star forward was named a McDonald's All-American on Feb. 2 and Tennessee's first commitment of the 2026 class. Edwards' announcement comes after Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell's second season ended with the worst winning percentage in program history at 16-14 (.552) and an exodus of the returning roster.
Seven of Tennessee's eight returners announced intentions to enter the transfer portal after Caldwell's second season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo and Talaysia Cooper are all reportedly entering the portal when the window opens April 6-20. Freshman guard Jaida Civil is the only returner left.
Edwards just participated in the McDonald's All-American Game, and during media the day before said she was "very excited" to get to Tennessee at the McDonald's All-American Game media day on March 30.
"I think I’ll show a lot of growth, especially with playing against girls that are as good as me every single day," Edwards said about Tennessee. "I feel like the change of pace will be good for me. And all in all, I’m just excited to be with that family."
"(Edwards will) be one that I think will be special to watch," Caldwell said in November. "She’s a great kid. She wants to get better. She wants to win. She is selfless in every aspect of, hey, we need to do what it takes to win. And to do that at a young age, especially when she has had the attention and notoriety around her, it speaks volumes of her character."
Edwards is ranked No. 2 in the class by ESPN and is one of the most sought-after players in the country. The 6-foot-3 prospect out of Tacoma, Washington, chose the Lady Vols over South Carolina, USC, LSU, Florida and Washington.
Edwards had official visits set up with South Carolina and LSU, but committed to Tennessee on Sept. 13 before taking them.
Edwards committed while on her official visit to UT while Lady Vols legend Candace Parker was in Knoxville for the Tennessee football game against Georgia. Parker was also the "College GameDay" guest picker.
Edwards was a significant addition for the Lady Vols and added to Tennessee's remarkable turnaround in high school recruiting. She was the highest-ranked signee since Jordan Horston signed with UT in the 2019 class, and Edwards was set to join the 2025 class that ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Edwards was joined in Tennessee's 2026 class by four-star guard Gabby Minus, who is ranked No. 45 in the class, according to 247Sports Composite.
Edwards had prior relationships with Prawl and Tennessee freshmen Mia and Mya Pauldo through playing at Overtime Select.
Edwards' departure before even reaching campus is a blow for the program's image. Parker and Edwards are also connected through Adidas, which signed Edwards as part of its NIL class in May. Parker is the president of Adidas women's basketball. By the time Edwards' freshman year would have begun, Tennessee will once again be an Adidas school.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Oliviyah Edwards requests release from signing with Lady Vols, per report
Continue reading...
