Rocky times on Rocky Top: Tennessee women's basketball to lose all starters, plus top-5 recruit, in roster run

Embattled coach Kim Caldwell is presumed safe, but she has an offseason of painstaking work to do after the worst season in program history

After the worst season it ever had on the hardwood, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers are somehow having an even worse offseason. 

As it stands Tuesday morning, the Volunteers will enter next season without a single returner. The last player to leave was freshman guard Jaida Civil, who announced her decision on Monday.

She became the eighth player to enter the transfer portal, joining juniors Alyssa Latham and Talaysia Cooper, sophomore Kaniya Boyd and freshmen Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo, Deniya Prawl and Lauren Hurst. Four other players -- Janiah Barker,  Zee Spearman, Nya Robertson and Jersey Wolfenbarger -- have graduated.

The program took another hit when Oliviyah Edwards, the No. 5 recruit in the 247Sports class of 2026 rankings, requested a release from her national letter of intent. As of Monday evening, Hebron Christian Academy power forward Gabby Minus, a top-50 player, has not given an update on her commitment status.

The mass exodus happened after what Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell described as "the worst year of my professional career" and said the players "deserve better."

Following a first-round loss to NC State in the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols finished their 2025-26 campaign with an eight-game losing streak and a 16-14 overall record, the lowest winning percentage in program history.

Things were messy both on and off the court. Senior guard Ruby Whitehorn was dismissed in November following two arrests in four months, and fifth-year guard Kaiya Wynn left before the postseason because she reached her "breaking point" during senior night.

The current program is far from the powerhouse it once was during the Pat Summitt era, which saw the Lady Vols win eight national championships. Caldwell took over the program ahead of the 2024-25 season (Holly Warlick and then Kellie Harper coached in between Summitt and now) and the team was relatively successful as they reached the Sweet 16 in her debut. The expectations were higher for this season because Tennessee was getting the No. 2 freshman class in the nation, but it seems the Lady Vols have taken multiple steps backward. 

Caldwell brought her unique style of play, which is aggressive, fast-tempo and features a hockey-style substitution approach. It is not an easy system to play in, but instead of looking to make adjustments for the future, Caldwell said her team didn't succeed this season because the players and staff, herself included, didn't fully commit to the system and tried a "plan B."

Tennessee athletics director Danny White said early in March that he stands behind Caldwell. Her job was safe at the time, but the mass exodus could be a new complicating factor. 

Caldwell and the rest of the Tennessee coaching staff, assuming they keep their jobs, have a lot of work to do in order to build a whole new roster. That work starts now as the college basketball transfer portal officially opened on Monday.