The Lady Vols’ offseason was just dealt a body blow as things get tougher on Kim Caldwell
It’s been a tough couple of months for Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols. With the impeding departure of the program’s star player, it’ll be tough sledding to turn things around next season.
Not long after the calendar flipped over to 2026, the Tennessee Lady Vols turned into a pumpkin.
About three weeks to be exact.
That’s when the Lady Vols’ seven-game winning streak came to an end, and the program went into a nose dive down the stretch. Tennessee lost 10 of their last 12 games and saw a 14-3 mark slide off a cliff to a 16-13 end to the regular season. Tennessee still managed to make the NCAA Tournament, but it was one-and-done after a 76-61 loss to NC State.
Things quickly got worse, with multiple players announcing their entry into the transfer portal, including twins Mia and Mya Pauldo. And on Thursday, star guard Talaysia Cooper joined the exodus, announcing on Instagram that she’s entering the portal.
Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper entering the transfer portal
“First, I just want to say thank you to the University of Tennessee, the coaching staff, my teammates, and everyone who has supported me during my time here,” Cooper wrote in her post. “Being a Lady Vol has meant more to me than I can fully put into words. I’ve grown a lot on and off the court, and I’ll always be grateful for the relationships and experiences I’ve gained here. After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal to continue my journey. This decision wasn’t easy at all, but I’m trusting what’s best for me moving forward. I will always have love and respect for Tennessee and everything this program stands for. Thank you for everything.”
Cooper’s loss is obviously a big blow for the roster and guts significant returning production for 2026-27. She led the Lady Vols last season in points per game with 16.0, assists per game with 3.7, and steals per game with 2.7.
But beyond the stats, her departure — and those of the other players — feels like the natural byproduct of the obvious disconnect between the coaching staff and the players by the end of the season.
Caldwell doesn’t appear to be going anywhere right now. AD Danny White has already given the (dreaded?) vote of confidence in her favor before the season ended.
But things will have to be significantly better in 2026-27, or the calls for Caldwell’s job could get too loud for White to ignore.
And the challenge of pulling off a big improvement just got significantly tougher.
Tennessee Volunteers News
Rick Barnes just answered a major question for Tennessee for next season in a huge way
The Tennessee Volunteers did not have to wait long in order to find a big piece of the puzzle for their 2026-27 season, securing one of the top transfer portal options quickly.
