Why Kim Caldwell called rebuilding entire Lady Vols basketball roster 'fantastic'

CHATTANOOGA – Kim Caldwell has had quite the offseason going into her third season coaching Lady Vols basketball . Caldwell had to rebuild her entire roster in a matter of weeks after all eight returners hit the transfer portal. Now Tennessee has 12 players committed out of the portal and 14 on the 2026-27 roster with two incoming freshmen.

Caldwell met with the media for the first time since the season ended at the Big Orange Caravan stop in Chattanooga on April 28. Caldwell said the last month of rebuilding the roster from scratch has been "fantastic. " "It's been a breath of fresh air.

We're really excited about it," Caldwell said. "We're excited about the players we've had on campus, the way our staff has hit the ground running. I think when people invest in you when things aren't so great, you know what their intentions are.

"We brought in players that are very hungry and have a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove, which really matches my mindset. " Tennessee added eight guards out of the portal with Liberty sophomore Avery Mills , Northern Arizona freshman Naomi White , Georgia junior Rylie Theuerkauf , Auburn freshman Harissoum Coulibaly , Maryland senior Kaylene Smikle , Penn State sophomore Shaelyn Steele , Seton Hall sophomore Jada Eads and East Carolina senior Kennedy Fauntleroy . The Lady Vols have also added four forwards in Stanford sophomore Harper Peterson , Georgia freshman Zhen Craft , Texas A&M junior Fatmata Janneh , and Texas senior Aaliyah Moore .