Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards committed to Lady Vols basketball, she announced Sept. 13, giving Tennessee its first commitment to its 2026 class.
The 6-foot-3 prospect out of Tacoma, Washington, is ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class, and has been one of the most sought-after players in the country. Edwards chose the Lady Vols over South Carolina, USC, LSU, Florida and Washington. She had official visits set up with South Carolina and LSU, but committed to Tennessee before taking them.
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Edwards committed while on her official visit to UT over the weekend while Lady Vols legend Candace Parker was in town for the Tennessee football game against Georgia. Parker was also the “College GameDay” guest picker.
“BIG OH to the BIG ORANGE,” Edwards wrote in social media posts. “I’m blessed and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Tennessee! #GoVols #goladyvols”
Edwards is a crucial addition for the Lady Vols, who are losing three of their four forwards to graduation after the 2025-26 season. She’s also a key piece of the foundation Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell and her staff are creating through high school recruiting, building on the momentum of signing the No. 2-ranked 2025 class.
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Edwards is an incredible athlete, dunking for the first time in seventh grade. She got a shoutout from Parker this summer after dunking in an AAU game. Parker commented on the video of Edwards and said, “I personally see big Tennessee orange in her future” before reaching out to Edwards directly.
Parker and Edwards are also connected through Adidas, which signed Edwards as part of its NIL class in May. Parker is the president of Adidas women’s basketball. By the time Edwards’ freshman year begins, Tennessee will once again be an Adidas school.
Parker isn’t the only Lady Vols alum to have a connection with Edwards. Former Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw, the program’s all-time leading scorer, was Edwards’ coach at Overtime Select in August. Edwards also played at Overtime Select last summer with Tennessee freshmen Mia and Mya Pauldo and Deniya Prawl.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Oliviyah Edwards, No. 2 prospect in 2026 class, commits to Tennessee women’s basketball
