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A week after the Lady Vols basketball season ended, four players have decided to enter the transfer portal.
The transfer portal window for immediate eligibility doesn't even begin until the day after the national championship. Players can officially enter the portal from April 6-20.
The Lady Vols finished 16-14 for the worst winning percentage in program history. The 16 wins tied the fewest of the NCAA era, and the Lady Vols ended the season on an eight-game losing streak, including a first-round loss to NC State on March 20 in the Women's NCAA Tournament.
Here's what you need to know about Tennessee's roster turnover after coach Kim Caldwell's second season with the Lady Vols.
At least four Lady Vols − Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd and Lauren Hurst − will enter the transfer portal when it opens.
The 6-foot-2 Latham, who transferred in ahead of Caldwell's first season, would have been one of two seniors on the 2026-27 roster. Prawl and Hurst are two of Tennessee's five freshmen who will depart after only one season – after their five-player class marked a remarkable turnaround in the Lady Vols' high school recruiting.
Boyd, a 5-9 guard, was a redshirt sophomore who committed to former coach Kellie Harper. Boyd's minutes went down from 17.4 to 10.9 this season after Caldwell called Boyd "the future of this program" in February 2025.
Hurst, a 6-3 guard, broke into the rotation in the second half of the season, playing at least 10 minutes in 10 games after SEC play began. The Cleveland, Tennessee, native averaged 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10 minutes per game and shot 48.8% from the field. Hurst appeared in 24 games and started in one.
Prawl, a 6-2 guard, was a solid player in UT's rotation and averaged four points, 2.7 rebounds and one steal in 15.5 minutes. Prawl started in eight of her 29 appearances.
"I mean, I definitely didn't expect this season to go this way, I feel like nobody did," Prawl told Knox News on March 19. "But I'm really happy I chose Rocky Top, and I'm really grateful for this opportunity."
The Lady Vols began the season with six seniors on the roster. They lost one before the season officially started with the dismissal of Ruby Whitehorn. Fifth-year senior Kaiya Wynn left the team ahead of the postseason.
Zee Spearman, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Nya Robertson and Janiah Barker were also seniors and are out of eligibility. Only Spearman played at Tennessee for more than one season, transferring in ahead of Caldwell's first season.
Barker and Robertson played significant roles for UT this season, although Barker didn't finish the season. The 6-4 forward was a late scratch from the NCAA Tournament game due to "illness."
As of March 27, there are four players left on Tennessee's roster.
Redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper, who has been the team's leading scorer during both Caldwell's seasons, and freshmen guards Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo and Jaida Civil.
Mia Pauldo, Tennessee's lone SEC All-Freshman selection, told Knox News on March 19 that she expected this season to be "an easy road" with all the talent on the roster. But she learned at this level it's never an easy road with the elite competition.
Playing in Caldwell's system was "different," and Mia said it wasn't easy to adjust to the quick substitution patterns. Mya agreed and said the system was "difficult" to adjust to.
"We knew coming here that, that was the system, and we just thought it was, you know, easier seeing it than actually doing it," Mia said.
Civil said it was "a really good year" for her and she's glad she's under Caldwell's wing playing for her.
Tennessee signed two players to its 2026 class, including five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards, who's ranked No. 2 in the class by ESPN and was named a McDonald's All-American. Four-star wing Gabby Minus, who's ranked No. 49 by 247Sports Composite, also signed with the Lady Vols.
Edwards is a 6-3 prospect from Tacoma, Washington, and she was one of the most sought-after players in the class. ESPN's Shane Laflin wrote that she has "arguably the highest ceiling as the most elite athlete in the pool of 2026 five-stars, by far."
Minus, a 6-1 prospect out of Dacula, Georgia, is a great fit for Caldwell's system.
"She’s athletic. She can move. She can run. She’s a three-level scorer," Caldwell said in November. "Obviously, she’s coming off of an injury, but I think that she’ll be able to step in and help right away, too."
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: Who is still left on Lady Vols basketball roster after transfers?
Continue reading...
The transfer portal window for immediate eligibility doesn't even begin until the day after the national championship. Players can officially enter the portal from April 6-20.
The Lady Vols finished 16-14 for the worst winning percentage in program history. The 16 wins tied the fewest of the NCAA era, and the Lady Vols ended the season on an eight-game losing streak, including a first-round loss to NC State on March 20 in the Women's NCAA Tournament.
Here's what you need to know about Tennessee's roster turnover after coach Kim Caldwell's second season with the Lady Vols.
Who did the Lady Vols lose to transfer portal already?
At least four Lady Vols − Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd and Lauren Hurst − will enter the transfer portal when it opens.
The 6-foot-2 Latham, who transferred in ahead of Caldwell's first season, would have been one of two seniors on the 2026-27 roster. Prawl and Hurst are two of Tennessee's five freshmen who will depart after only one season – after their five-player class marked a remarkable turnaround in the Lady Vols' high school recruiting.
Boyd, a 5-9 guard, was a redshirt sophomore who committed to former coach Kellie Harper. Boyd's minutes went down from 17.4 to 10.9 this season after Caldwell called Boyd "the future of this program" in February 2025.
Hurst, a 6-3 guard, broke into the rotation in the second half of the season, playing at least 10 minutes in 10 games after SEC play began. The Cleveland, Tennessee, native averaged 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10 minutes per game and shot 48.8% from the field. Hurst appeared in 24 games and started in one.
Prawl, a 6-2 guard, was a solid player in UT's rotation and averaged four points, 2.7 rebounds and one steal in 15.5 minutes. Prawl started in eight of her 29 appearances.
"I mean, I definitely didn't expect this season to go this way, I feel like nobody did," Prawl told Knox News on March 19. "But I'm really happy I chose Rocky Top, and I'm really grateful for this opportunity."
Who did Tennessee lose to graduation?
The Lady Vols began the season with six seniors on the roster. They lost one before the season officially started with the dismissal of Ruby Whitehorn. Fifth-year senior Kaiya Wynn left the team ahead of the postseason.
Zee Spearman, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Nya Robertson and Janiah Barker were also seniors and are out of eligibility. Only Spearman played at Tennessee for more than one season, transferring in ahead of Caldwell's first season.
Barker and Robertson played significant roles for UT this season, although Barker didn't finish the season. The 6-4 forward was a late scratch from the NCAA Tournament game due to "illness."
Who is left on Lady Vols basketball roster?
As of March 27, there are four players left on Tennessee's roster.
Redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper, who has been the team's leading scorer during both Caldwell's seasons, and freshmen guards Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo and Jaida Civil.
Mia Pauldo, Tennessee's lone SEC All-Freshman selection, told Knox News on March 19 that she expected this season to be "an easy road" with all the talent on the roster. But she learned at this level it's never an easy road with the elite competition.
Playing in Caldwell's system was "different," and Mia said it wasn't easy to adjust to the quick substitution patterns. Mya agreed and said the system was "difficult" to adjust to.
"We knew coming here that, that was the system, and we just thought it was, you know, easier seeing it than actually doing it," Mia said.
Civil said it was "a really good year" for her and she's glad she's under Caldwell's wing playing for her.
Who is in Lady Vols' 2026 class?
Tennessee signed two players to its 2026 class, including five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards, who's ranked No. 2 in the class by ESPN and was named a McDonald's All-American. Four-star wing Gabby Minus, who's ranked No. 49 by 247Sports Composite, also signed with the Lady Vols.
Edwards is a 6-3 prospect from Tacoma, Washington, and she was one of the most sought-after players in the class. ESPN's Shane Laflin wrote that she has "arguably the highest ceiling as the most elite athlete in the pool of 2026 five-stars, by far."
Minus, a 6-1 prospect out of Dacula, Georgia, is a great fit for Caldwell's system.
"She’s athletic. She can move. She can run. She’s a three-level scorer," Caldwell said in November. "Obviously, she’s coming off of an injury, but I think that she’ll be able to step in and help right away, too."
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: Who is still left on Lady Vols basketball roster after transfers?
Continue reading...
