By: Dallas Bowlin
Senior Staff Writer/Editor/ Host
The All Vol Call In Show
Year two under Kim Caldwell isn’t about rebuilding — it’s about winning. The Lady Vols return a veteran nucleus in Talaysia Cooper, Alyssa Latham, Zee Spearman, Kaiya Winn, Kaniya Boyd, and Ruby Whitehorn, giving Tennessee a foundation that’s both seasoned and skilled. Add in proven transfers Janiah Barker (UCLA), Jersey Wolfenbarger (LSU), and Nya Robertson (SMU), and suddenly the rotation looks as deep as any in the SEC.
Then comes the exclamation point: the freshman class. Tennessee just signed five top-50 recruits — three of them five-stars — the highest-ranked group in program history. Mia Pauldo (#12), Jaida Civil (#15), and Deniya Prawl (#16) headline a class that doesn’t need time to develop; they’re good enough to impact immediately. Combined with Lauren Hurst (#49) and Mya Pauldo (#54), this roster isn’t just stacked for the future — it’s built to win now.
Most importantly, Caldwell hasn’t just assembled a talented group of players. She has assembled a group primed and ready to run her high-tempo, chaos-inducing brand of basketball. This is no slight to the departing players, but this team is lightyears more equipped to run the Caldwell style of ball than last season’s.
For the first time in years, Tennessee has the talent to go toe-to-toe with the SEC’s elite, including South Carolina and LSU. The Lady Vols proved last season they could take down a giant when they toppled UConn at home — and that was without a roster on par with the Huskies. Now, with a style built to create chaos and the depth to turn turnovers into points, Tennessee is ready to show the nation that the sleeping giant in women’s basketball has awakened.
