You just had a feeling there'd be some turnover for the Lady Vols and Kim Caldwell this offseason after the horrendous close to the campaign. Despite that, the first bit of transfer news has come in and it's disappointing for multiple different reasons.
News has broken that 5-star Tennessee freshman Deniya Prawl has decided to enter the transfer portal. She just signed to play for Caldwell last year and she arrived in Knoxville with some pretty big expectations. Prawl didn't live up to the hype and now her career with the SEC side is over before it could really even get started. ESPN's Andraya Carter had the scoop:
BREAKING: Tennessee Lady Vol Freshman Guard, Deniya Prawl, has entered the transfer portal.
— Andraya Carter (@Andraya_Carter) March 23, 2026
Prawl, a 6’2 Top-20 class of 2025 recruit and McDonald’s All American, averaged 4.0 points in 15.5 minutes per game this season. pic.twitter.com/Ks7VXQePRM
Kim Caldwell losing Deniya Prawl to the transfer portal certainly stings
When it rains, it pours for the Vols.
The season just wrapped up recently with a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament against NC State. With that defeat, Tennessee closed out the year 16-14, with those 14 losses tying a program worst. This team also finished the season on an eight-game losing streak.
Because of that, there's been extra pressure on Caldwell, with some of us believing her seat is heating up a bit. This latest news on Prawl certainly doesn't helping things. Coming out of IMG Academy in Florida, the 6-1 small forward chose UT over Miami, Baylor, Duke, Louisville and several others.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Prawl signed with the Lady Vols ranked five stars, the No. 4 small forward in the country and the No. 10 player overall for her class. She had SEC superstar written all over her, but she averaged just four points per game during his true frosh season.
She'll likely receive plenty of attention via the portal, but the fact that she's already leaving campus is rough to see. Again, Prawl was expected to be a huge playmaker for the Vols and help Caldwell get the program back where it needs to be. Instead, she has decided to play elsewhere, making things even worse for Tennessee. Fans have been hoping for some good news, but this latest update is far from it.