With the Lady Vols in full rebuild mode, many former players are finding new destinations for next season. One program that has been active in the Tennessee transfer market is Ole Miss. The Rebels have already landed former Tennessee star Talaysia Cooper, who led the Lady Vols in scoring last season at 16 points per game.
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Yolett McPhee-McCuin, head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, has made another major move by adding a former Kim Caldwell recruit. Former Tennessee guard Jaida Civil has committed to Ole Miss, reuniting with Talaysia Cooper for next season. The former McDonald’s All-American was expected to play a key role, but instead became part of Tennessee’s major offseason exodus. She averaged six points a game as a freshman last year for Tennessee, but her potential is through the roof.
NEWS: Tennessee transfer Jaida Civil has committed to Ole Miss.
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) April 15, 2026
The 6-0 freshman averaged 6.4 ppg and 4 rpg this season. She was a 5-star recruit out of high school.
TRACKER: https://t.co/wYv1Ze6704 pic.twitter.com/gIJm0xez6F
Jaida Civil and Talaysia Cooper both are going to Ole Miss
Tennessee has been building a women's basketball pipeline from Athens to Knoxville, as the Lady Vols have already landed two Georgia Bulldogs. On the other hand, it looks like the Rebels are building one from Knoxville to Oxford as they have now taken two very good Tennessee players away from them. It is a gut punch to see both of these talented players leave, but to also have them stay in the SEC for next year makes it even worse. I'm sure they will be very motivated to have a big game against Caldwell next year, as it seems like she wasn't their favorite.
Tennessee has had a solid start in the portal, but there’s still a lot of work to do if they want to reach the level of South Carolina and LSU. Kim Caldwell needs to continue attacking the portal and prioritizing players who fit her full-court press system. Even if the roster doesn’t have the same level of talent as last year’s group featuring Cooper and Civil, the team could benefit greatly from stronger buy-in and improved chemistry. Kim Caldwell's job likely depends on the 2026 team materializing into a deep March run.
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