‘The first ones to the fire' – There are 2 new Lady Vols players that are already instant fan favorites on Rocky Top
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols put the finishing touches on their roster this week. Tennessee was forced to replace every single player on Caldwell’s roster following a mass departure of players. Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols officially put the finishing touches on their roster on Tuesday.
After starting the offseason with zero players on the team, Caldwell now has a full roster. 🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊 It is finished. pic.
twitter. com/9PIE8izkfF — Bill Ferrara Jr. (@CoachFerrara) April 28, 2026 Two of the Lady Vols’ additions are instant fan favorites All of the Lady Vols’ additions are important and will play in Caldwell’s fast-paced system.
Two of the additions, however, stand out a bit more than the others. When the offseason started, the Lady Vols weren’t exactly an attractive destination due to the way the 2025-26 season ended (with an eight-game losing streak and some off-the-court drama ). On Tuesday, during a Big Orange Caravan Stop in Chattanooga, Caldwell spotlighted two players who were the “first ones to the fire” — four-star signee Gabby Minus and Liberty transfer Avery Mills.
“Gabby was amazing,” said Caldwell. “Every time we talked, [she was saying], ‘I’m all in, I’m all in, I’m all in. This is where I want to be.