Reports: Five-star Oliviyah Edwards requests release from Tennessee
The News Tribune’s All-Area Player of the Year averaged 30 points, 22 rebounds and five blocks for the Abes this winter.
Five-star Lincoln forward Oliviyah Edwards has requested a release from her signing with the Tennessee Volunteers, per reports from Rivals and ESPN. Edwards, considered the No. 2 player in the 2026 class, would instantly become the nation’s top available recruit.
She originally signed with the Lady Vols last Nov. 14 over South Carolina, USC, LSU, Florida, and Washington. The 6-foot-3 senior has not announced the request publicly.
The news comes on the heels of Tennessee assistant Gabe Lazo’s hiring as the new head coach at Central Florida (UCF), who led the charge in bringing the five-star recruit to the Lady Vols last fall. Tennessee will not return a single player in 2026-27 after finishing 16-14 this winter. Edwards was named The News Tribune’s 2026 All-Area girls basketball Player of the Year after averaging 30 points, 22 rebounds, and five blocks per game for the Abes this winter.
She dropped a game-high 38 points in the final game of her high school career, a regional loss to Lakeside (Seattle) on Feb. 28, willing Lincoln one game short of the 3A state tournament at the Tacoma Dome. Edwards tallied eight points in the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game (Glendale, Ariz.