Lady Vols basketball has to replace almost its entire roster going into Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell’s third season.
Seven of Tennessee’s eight possible returners will enter the transfer portal after the season ended with a loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.
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The transfer portal window for immediate eligibility begins the day after the national championship and will be open April 6-20. Grad transfers may enter the portal at any time.
Here’s what you need to know about Tennessee’s roster and the transfer portal.
Who is currently on Tennessee’s projected 2026-27 roster?
The Lady Vols’ lone returning player is currently freshman guard Jaida Civil. Civil was one of Tennessee’s most improved players throughout the season, averaging 6.4 points, four rebounds, 1.5 assists and 18.8 minutes in all 30 games while shooting 41.5% from the field.
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Tennessee lost four seniors to graduation. Talaysia Cooper, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, Mia Pauldo, Mya Pauldo and Deniya Prawl all either announced their intentions to enter the portal or will reportedly enter the portal.
Tennessee originally had two players signed in its 2026 class. Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards, who’s a McDonald’s All-American, and four-star wing Gabby Minus.
Edwards, who’s ranked No. 2 in the class by ESPN, reportedly requested to be released from her signing April 4. The 6-foot-3 forward out of Tacoma, Washington, was the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Tennessee since Jordan Horston, who was also ranked No. 2 by ESPN in 2019.
Minus, 6-1, is the No. 3 player out of Georgia, according to 247Sports Composite. She returned halfway through last season from a knee injury and won a state championship with Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, Georgia. Minus had seven points and 13 rebounds in the title game.
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What do Lady Vols need out of transfer portal?
If Tennessee can keep Civil and Minus, it will have up to 13 roster spots to fill for next season.
The Lady Vols need to add players at every position, preferably with some underclassmen to build out the roster again. But the most important kind of players Tennessee needs are ones who will buy into Caldwell’s system.
Tennessee desperately needs strong 3-point shooters, which was one of its most glaring weaknesses this season. The Lady Vols shot 30.5% on 30.5 attempts per game from 3-point range during the 2025-26 season, down from their 32.5% on 31 attempts per game during the 2024-25 season. Their shooting was inconsistent, and they didn’t have enough reliable shooters to take as many 3-pointers as they did.
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Caldwell also needs athletes who can execute her full-court press, which was much weaker this season than her first season. She said lack of consistent rotations contributed to the lack of success with the press. Expect Caldwell to go after the depth to have the consistent, full-lineup rotations like her first season.
Who might Tennessee go after in transfer portal?
Tennessee already offered Esmeralda Enriquez, who’s coming off an NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship with Eastern Arizona. Enriquez was named the MVP of the program’s first national title, averaging 18 points in the tournament.
The sophomore started in 31 of 35 games, averaging 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24 minutes per game. Enriquez shot 45.7% from the field and 44.8% on 3-pointers.
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The 5-8 guard started her college career at North Idaho College. She should have two years of eligibility remaining.
Florida State’s leading scorer Solé Williams is reportedly entering the portal. The junior guard, who started her career at Texas A&M, averaged 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 30.2 minutes. She shot 41% from the field and 32.5% on 3-pointers.
Former Florida State associate head coach Bill Ferrara was hired to UT’s staff on March 30. There’s a chance Williams could follow her assistant coach to her new school.
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
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What to know about Lady Vols roster, transfer portal for 2026-27 season
