2025 Transfer Portal

[Cb153181]

It could work both ways.
Perhaps Coach Caldwell has a plan to develop her two 6’2 guards 5-Star Deniya Prawl and 4-Star Lauren Hurst behind 2022 McDonald’s All-Americans Ruby Whitehorn and Talaysia Cooper that’s why she isn’t recruiting every guard in the transfer portal. Boyd, Mia & Mya Pauldo are your PGs and Civil is a combo guard.
I’m certain there’s a plan the team is following and it might not please everyone but it won 24 games w/ some wins against ranked teams in year 1.
They will add transfers. The returnees and incoming freshmen may or may all 100% develop into their role to perfection as some here only measure success but that’s part of sport.
Just as every transfer doesn’t pan out.
However, the results will be strong and this team will be better based on the quality coaching, better chemistry and experience from year 1, and talented roster.
CKC is being strategical and that’s how you get to the next level to compete for another National Championship at UT.

Knox is this roster that TN has better than SC, Texas, LSU, Vandy or Oklahoma?

 

[glv98]

SC had nobody averaging over 25 minutes just like us and they were runner up. They still managed to snag Latson and possibly Okot. I don’t think Dawn is going to change her minute distribution next year, so it can be done. Of course, like I said before, it helps to win championships to get that buy in from top transfers.

IMO it’s more to do with the mins being broken up by constant subbing. Some players simply will not want to play that way.

Agree, as previously noted, top players will relinquish some of their 30+ mins and some of their shot attempts to go somewhere they are virtually guaranteed a final four, like So Car.

 

[WVU05UT09]

Wish we had finished a little better in the SEC. Even a 5th place finish would have looked considerably better.

Have to figure that out next season. Need to be top 3 in the SEC or else imo.

You just CANNOT lose games like UGA and Vandy. Sweet 16 was great accomplishment but our SEC finish and tourney was pathetic.

I understand the sentiment and certainly 9th isn't an acceptable standard but in this P2 era the Top 4 of the league is really the goal. I think there was considerable drop off after LSU, Texas, SC but in the future I could see a scenario where the 6th place in the standings is a top 10 team.

 

[spojo13]

IMO it’s more to do with the mins being broken up by constant subbing. Some players simply will not want to play that way.

Also, as previously noted, top players will relinquish some of their 30+ mins to go somewhere they are virtually guaranteed a final four, like So Car.

Yeah that is for sure a difference in philosophy with SC, and we agree on the final four part. So I guess Kim and team will still in this second year of transfer season have a smaller pool to work from than some other programs that are offering lots of playing time, no constant subbing, and final fours. Makes sense now why it might take longer to hear news.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Answer two questions first.
1. How many of those teams not named Tennessee beat UConn?
2. Mia & Mya Pauldo beat Mikayla Blakes team in HS. If Blakes can start in the SEC, what does that mean for Mia and Mya?
I’m intrigued as you are on the other side.. enjoy your day.

Knox is this roster that TN has better than SC, Texas, LSU, Vandy or Oklahoma?

 

[Cb153181]

Answer two questions first.
1. How many of those teams not named Tennessee beat UConn?
2. Mia & Mya Pauldo beat Mikayla Blakes team in HS. If Blakes can start in the SEC, what does that mean for Mia and Mya?
I’m intrigued as you are on the other side.. enjoy your day.

No one said they couldn’t start I just asked was the roster better than those teams that will be at the top of the SEC.

Why are you so defensive I’m just asking a question and you’re taking it wrong.

Tennessee beat UConn last year I am focusing on next year team. We didn’t win the championship for beating them this year.

 

[Volfan2012]

Answer two questions first.
1. How many of those teams not named Tennessee beat UConn?
2. Mia & Mya Pauldo beat Mikayla Blakes team in HS. If Blakes can start in the SEC, what does that mean for Mia and Mya?
I’m intrigued as you are on the other side.. enjoy your day.

The big problem with number one is that all those teams beat us. Actual record 0 and 8. That is who we want to beat next season. I agree were better. I disagree that we are currently strong enough to win against most of those teams.

 

[Coach Jumper]

How long has Coach Yo been “building” now at OM?

this 100%

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

No, it’s the problem for you all. It’s what a certain group of people only focus on. Tennessee finished the season ranked #15 and advanced to the S16.
Everyone now is 0-0.
And I guess you believe Talaysia Cooper, Ruby Whitehorn, Lazaria Spearman, and Alyssa Latham will just stay the same?
Your opinion.
I don’t dwell on trivial stuff like a conference record and ignore the entire body of work.
I’ll leave that up to those who do but when they include me in the discussion we don’t have to agree.
I’m past that now last comment on that subject.

The big problem with number one is that all those teams beat us. Actual record 0 and 8. That is who we want to beat next season. I agree were better. I disagree that we are currently strong enough to win against most of those teams.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

You are defensive, not me.
Don’t project through the internet your own disposition off on someone who has a difference of opinion. Obviously not everyone agrees with you. The team was voted #15/#16 in 2025-2026 by a panel of sportswriters and coaches. I don’t have a vote.
Projected in the Top 10 as the roster currently stands right now by an ESPN analyst. That wasn’t my poll.
Why on this forum can’t some of you see that not everyone agrees with the critical analysis of the program?
You can’t force me to agree with you, and as you see I’m not trying to convince you.

No one said they couldn’t start I just asked was the roster better than those teams that will be at the top of the SEC.

Why are you so defensive I’m just asking a question and you’re taking it wrong.

Tennessee beat UConn last year I am focusing on next year team. We didn’t win the championship for beating them this year.

 

[Volfan2012]

No, it’s the problem. It’s what a certain group of people only focus on. Tennessee finished the season ranked #15 and advanced to the S16.
Everyone now is 0-0.
I don’t dwell on trivial stuff like a conference record and ignore the entire body of work.
I’ll leave that up to those who do but when they include me in the discussion we don’t have to agree.
I’m past that now last comment on that subject.

Like you I am confident in our perimeter players and that they can compete with those teams. We could certainly use a three point shooter or two, but even if we don't get them were still solid even if young on the perimeter. The big concern that needs to be filled and this is like the 100th time I have said this is the inside post game. We have two good ones in Latham and Spearman we need at least one more would love to have two. We didn't fill that need with the freshmen. They are all perimeter players so if we get the post players we need yes were all 0 and 0 and I will feel a lot more confident that we can take some of those teams down.

 

[spojo13]

The big problem with number one is that all those teams beat us. Actual record 0 and 8. That is who we want to beat next season. I agree we’re better. I disagree that we are currently strong enough to win against most of those teams.

I love our class coming in, and I love the core of our players returning next year. I believe our returnees will get better the second year in the system. I think maybe some posters are not understanding that other top schools also have great recruiting classes coming in and also will have players coming back who will get better and are also getting great players out of the portal. Our team doesn’t live in a vacuum where only our returnees will get better and only our HS class will contribute right away. I have no doubts we’ll add some great additions out of the portal, but to move forward, we are going to need to keep pace with the schools we were chasing this year.

 

[ShortyMac10]

Took long enough

 

[Cb153181]

You are defensive, not me.
Don’t project through the internet your own disposition off on someone who has a difference of opinion. Obviously not everyone agrees with you. The team was voted #15/#16 in 2025-2026 by a panel of sportswriters and coaches. I don’t have a vote.
Projected in the Top 10 as the roster currently stands right now by an ESPN analyst. That wasn’t my poll. W
Why on this forum can’t some of you see that not everyone agrees with the critical analysis of the program?
You can’t force me to agree with you, and as you see I’m not trying to convince you.

Hopefully the staff is doing everything in their power to bring in Serah Williams she’s the one player that is needed to complete this roster. We can’t let her go to a Texas or SC….

I hear rumblings of Smith out of LSU she is a great player but I think her and Latham are the same player.

 

[GameTime]

No matter which player transfer here, there will be at least 5 posters that will not like it.....So let it be written, so let it be done.

 

[Volfan2012]

I love our class coming in, and I love the core of our players returning next year. I believe our returnees will get better the second year in the system. I think maybe some posters are not understanding that other top schools also have great recruiting classes coming in and also will have players coming back who will get better and are also getting great players out of the portal. Our team doesn’t live in a vacuum where only our returnees will get better and only our HS class will contribute right away. I have no doubts we’ll add some great additions out of the portal, but to move forward, we are going to need to keep pace with the schools we were chasing this year.

With all the roster space we have created I believe we have a plan. The portal is almost identical to freshmen recruiting now you have about 50 to 100 top players worth going after and your fighting for 3 or 4 of them. The portal actually had 8 to 10 post players where the freshman 2025 100 had about 2 or 3. Still out there are Okot, Weimar, Williams, Cunningham and a couple more we could get one it helps two would be a huge victory since around 100 teams are going for the same 6 players.

 

[Volfan2012]

No matter which player transfer here, there will be at least 5 posters that will not like it.....So let it be written, so let it be done.

Just five! That would be a victory for the staff. I would say at least half won't like it. Say we get Todd I think I already heard over ten say she is not much help. I consider her exactly the type player we need she fills a need on the perimeter behind the three point line.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

How successful was Wisconsin with Williams? I’m not against any player but it’s remarkable how NIL and the transfer portal has distorted success/recruiting at the expense of prioritizing upperclassmen from losing programs with sometimes padded statistics as assets to teams to win a championship.

Also, LSU and Tennessee systems are completely different.
I haven’t looked much into Smith but I know more people know her than Williams based on her performances in big games. Smith is proven as a player if she comes to Tennesse or not.
What does Smith and Latham being the same mean? One will likely play when the other rests as interchangeable or both can play together in this system.

Hopefully the staff is doing everything in their power to bring in Serah Williams she’s the one player that is needed to complete this roster. We can’t let her go to a Texas or SC….

I hear rumblings of Smith out of LSU she is a great player but I think her and Latham are the same player.

 

[Volfan2012]

This makes Ole Miss a fairly strong team with her and Lattimore still not fearing them that much. They still look like a sixth or seventh place team.

 

[spojo13]

With all the roster space we have created I believe we have a plan. The portal is almost identical to freshmen recruiting now you have about 50 to 100 top players worth going after and your fighting for 3 or 4 of them. The portal actually had 8 to 10 post players where the freshman 2025 100 had about 2 or 3. Still out there are Okot, Weimar, Williams, Cunningham and a couple more we could get one it helps two would be a huge victory since around 100 teams are going for the same 6 players.

Yeah, I have no doubts there is a plan. We’ll see what we get and go from there. Williams and Okot are my two favorites out of those four. Cunningham and Smith are also good possibilities. Weimar makes me nervous with the injury and with our program’s luck around those over the years. At least it wasn’t a knee injury. Definitely some good post options out there still. The guard options are starting to get a little trickier but we’ll see.

 

[Volfan2012]

How successful was Wisconsin with Williams? I’m not against any player but it’s remarkable how NIL and the transfer portal has distorted success/recruiting at the expense of prioritizing upperclassmen from losing programs with sometimes padded statistics as assets to teams to win a championship.

Also, LSU and Tennessee systems are completely different.
I haven’t looked much into Smith but I know more people know her than Williams.
What does Smith and Latham being the same mean? One will likely play when five other rests as interchangeable or both can play together in this system.

She was successful the team wasn't because they were weak at three other positions and had no three point game. She went for 20 ppg and 9.8 rebounds almost a double double and was really almost half their offense. We probably won't get her cause a lot of other teams seems to have the inside track. Smith would be very good in our system she had some issues at LSU that would have to be addressed if we added her. Latham 20 and Smith 20 fills the four spot totally and solidly.

 

[Rickster]

In regards to people counting minutes and believing 2 or 3 or more minutes a game is a deal breaker that is driving superstars away, maybe some posters wouldn’t talk if certain posters would stop stirring the pot. This is a brain dead argument posited by people who don’t want to see the Lady Vols succeed on the national stage. It’s like the political lie that keeps getting repeated so, some people, especially those incapable of reasoning for themselves, start to believe. How about before fanning the flames of catastrophe, negative posters take a wait and see attitude to see if all the angst they are perpetuating is valid. None of the posters here are coaching the team and none of you strike me as coaching material, so I doubt any of you know what’s going on with the team, staff or recruiting. You’re just looking for ways to throw shade.

 

[Cb153181]

She was successful the team wasn't because they were weak at three other positions and had no three point game. She went for 20 ppg and 9.8 rebounds almost a double double and was really almost half their offense. We probably won't get her cause a lot of other teams seems to have the inside track. Smith would be very good in our system she had some issues at LSU that would have to be addressed if we added her. Latham 20 and Smith 20 fills the four spot totally and solidly.

Right they will fit our four spot but the 5 spot seems like they are not addressing that at all. We got killed in the SEC with the bigger teams.

 

[Volfan2012]

Took long enough

At least 300 grand may have been holding out and got more.

 

[Voluble2]

It looks like if we are going to get any post help at all out of the portal it will be someone who is not highly sought after and will need to be developed.

The staff has shown it can do that with a player like Spearman. But it is certainly the harder path to take over getting someone who is proven, and comes with more uncertainty of what the end product will look like.

It seems very clear that our post depth and size will be the limiting factor as to how far we can go next year. That is why everyone is so antsy that we are not mentioned beside the name of anyone who can provide help in those areas. It will be a wasted opportunity to bring in all of this other talent and not have the balance we will need to beat the teams who beat us last year.

Let's hope Kim and crew are good at spotting diamonds in the rough. On the other hand, Jill did not provide much stat wise from that position and it would not take much productivity at all to increase production from her spot on the roster. This is where we could have the greatest delta from one year to the next so one hopes the staff will hit it out of the park there.