Tennessee women's basketball star Talaysia Cooper transfers to Ole Miss

Talaysia Cooper was one of eight Tennessee women’s basketball players to enter the transfer portal this offseason. She’s the first to find a new home. And she's staying in the SEC.

Ole Miss announced Wednesday that Cooper, who led the Lady Vols in scoring this past season, will spend her final year of eligibility playing for Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s Rebels. She’s the first transfer portal addition for Ole Miss so far this offseason. McPhee-McCuin has garnered a strong reputation for being able to lure high-impact transfers to Oxford, Mississippi — landing players like Cotie McMahon, Kennedy Todd-Williams, KK Deans, Marquesha Davis and others in previous transfer windows — to fuel the Rebels’ NCAA Tournament runs.

"Talaysia is a key piece to this reload here at Ole Miss," McPhee-McCuin said in a statement. "I've known her since she was in 9th grade and I've always been a fan of her game. There's no doubt in my mind, Coop will thrive with a fresh start and reach her peak to compete at the highest level and prepare for her future as a pro.

" Cooper, who was ranked as the 18th-best recruit in the 2022 class by ESPN and a McDonald's All-American, began her career at South Carolina before transferring to Tennessee. She played two seasons for Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols, leading them in scoring each season. Cooper has twice been named an All-SEC selection and averaged 16.