Kim Caldwell gets brutal news about a key part of Lady Vols’ future
The Lady Vols’ season went up in flames over the last dozen games, and the flood of players leaving the program confirms the disconnect with the coaching staff. Now, Kim Caldwell’s problems are going beyond just this season.
Things have been rough for Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols for the last two-plus months now. Really, really tough.
After starting the season off in a promising fashion at 14-3, the Lady Vols suddenly went into nose dive, losing 10 of their last 12 games before the NCAA Tournament. They bowed out quickly in the big dance, losing to NC State 76-61 to end their season at 16-13.
But the disconnect between the players and Kim Caldwell was palpable and public, with even former player Andraya Carter chiming in on the problems. The word quit was mentioned by Caldwell after a loss. Guard Nya Robertson said mentioned that they “laid down” in the SEC Tournament. Things got ugly.
And for those hoping for a turnaround in 2026-27, one key piece of that puzzle will apparently no longer be in play for Caldwell. According to Rivals’ Talia Goodman, five-star signee Oliviyah Edwards has asked to be released from the Tennessee program.
Five-star signee Oliviyah Edwards has asked for her release from Tennessee
Edwards (Elite Sports Academy; Tacoma, WA), is the top-rated power forward, number one player in the state of Washington, and the number four player nationally in Rivals’ industry rankings. She held offers from South Carolina, USC, LSU, UCLA, Duke, UNC, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and many others.
It goes without saying that it’s a brutal loss for Caldwell, and it’s just another that she’s having to deal with, which right now largely includes her active roster. As of now, guard Jaida Civil is the only returning player on the roster, as the rest have all either entered the transfer portal or run out of eligibility. The list of players entering the portal includes top scorer in Talaysia Cooper (16.0 ppg) and third-highest scorer in Mia Pauldo (10.4 ppg).
Clearly Caldwell will have an enormous task in the transfer portal to not just find players who will listen to her and buy into her gameplan and coaching, but to even find a roster to field at this point. And it appears, unfortunately for Tennessee fans, that roster won’t include one of the brightest incoming stars in the sport in Edwards.
