Outgoing Lady Vols player is transferring to a program that may explain Kim Caldwell’s most controversial moment of the season
Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols are putting the pieces back together this offseason after a dreadful finish to the 2025-26 season. The Lady Vols ended the season with eight straight losses.
An outgoing Lady Vols player chose a transfer destination on Wednesday that may explain Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell’s most controversial moment of what was a tough season for the program.
Former Lady Vols guard Talaysia Cooper announced Wednesday that she’s transferring to Ole Miss.
Cooper, a 6-foot guard from Turbeville, SC, averaged 16 points per game for the Lady Vols this past season.
Talaysia Cooper’s transfer destination may explain Kim Caldwell’s viral moment against Ole Miss
Cooper landing at Ole Miss is certainly interesting after what went down between Caldwell and Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin in February.
After the Lady Vols lost 94-81 to Ole Miss on Feb. 17, Caldwell hit McPhee-McCuin with a drive-by handshake.
“I think she was probably just really ready to go,” said McPhee-McCuin after the game. “I like Kim. And sometimes — I don’t ever take stuff like that personally because the emotions, we’re competitive, and she’s at Tennessee, that’s a lot of history behind that place. Maybe she was in a rush or maybe she was upset, but I respect both of [those scenarios]. For me, I was just glad we got the win.”
At the time, we speculated that maybe Caldwell was just frustrated that Tennessee had lost for the fifth time in seven games.
But is it possible that Caldwell was upset that Ole Miss had perhaps been tampering with Cooper?
We don’t know the answer to that, but given the current state of college sports, and how rampant tampering is, it wouldn’t be a surprise (and that’s not to throw shade at McPhee-McCuin — tampering is almost necessary with the current cutthroat nature of college sports).
It was evident in February that Tennessee was going to have numerous players hitting the transfer portal. And again, considering how common tampering is, it would make sense for opposing coaches to check in on Lady Vols players to get a head start on the process.
Whether or not that’s what happened is up for debate. But what we do know is that Cooper has already signed with Ole Miss instead of taking visits to check out other schools.
You be the judge.
Update:
McPhee-McCuin has responded to the tampering allegations.
“Can you all please stop with this tired narrative? Find another way to cope,” tweeted McPhee-McCuin.
Everybody’s tampering these days. Even if McPhee-McCuin did tamper (or if there was communication via backchannels), I don’t think it’s anything anyone should be upset over.
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