If the offseason hasn't been frustrating enough for Tennessee Lady Vols fans, today might be the worst news yet. The seventh Transfer Portal dominio has fallen for Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols.
It was announced via X today that Tennessee guard and leading scorer Talaysia Cooper is planning on entering the portal. The 6-foot junior averaged a team high 16.0 points a game to go along with 4.7 boards and 3.6 assists.
NEWS: Tennessee’s Talaysia Cooper plans to enter the transfer portal, she announced.
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) April 2, 2026
The 6-0 junior averaged 16 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.6 apg and 2.7 spg this season.
TRACKER: https://t.co/wYv1Ze6EPC pic.twitter.com/1S7rbq846s
It’s worth remembering that Cooper was benched for nearly the entire second half against Alabama in the SEC Tournament, and he wasn’t in the locker room after the game. This sparked a lot of controversy amongst fans about Kim Caldwell and her coaching philosophy, as she said, "It was a coach’s decision." No real explanation or anything.
12 players have now left Tennessee
Between the transfer portal and graduating seniors, Cooper is now the 12th player to leave the program. And honestly, it’s hard to blame her. It’s not an easy situation. Why spend your senior season helping a brand-new roster learn the system from scratch when you have the option to go anywhere in the country and compete right away?
Cooper did post a statement on her Instagram saying, "I will always have love and respect for Tennessee and everything this program stands for. Thank you for everything." Digging deeper, it's too bad that Tennessee was never that competitive in her career. Cooper is a great player and will make her next stop very happy.
On the flip side, Tennessee now has 12 players who have either graduated or entered the portal. This is essentially a full roster reset. Kim Caldwell has a clean slate to work with, but the pressure is definitely starting to build. If the Lady Vols have another mediocre season, it wouldn’t be surprising if her seat gets a lot hotter heading into next year.
Tennessee does have elite freshman forward Oliviyah Edwards and Gabby Minus coming to Knoxville in 2026. The rest of the team though? That will have to be answered via the Transfer Portal in the coming weeks. Kim Caldwell has a lot of work to do.