Next Chapter: Lady Vols Send Two to the WNBA, Face Program Reset

Knoxville, TN - The Tennessee Lady Vols made history at the 2026 WNBA Draft and then turned the page to face one of the most dramatic roster rebuilds in program memory. 

It was a Draft that captured everything this storied program is right now: undeniable talent heading to the next level, and a hard road ahead for those who remain in Knoxville.

Two Lady Vols Hear Their Names Called

With the 29th pick, the Las Vegas Aces selected Janiah Barker. Two picks later, at 31st overall, the Dallas Wings took Zee Spearman.  

This marks the 13th time Tennessee has had multiple players selected in the same draft.  The first time it has happened since 2018. It also gives the program its first draft picks since Rickea Jackson in 2024, and six total since 2021. 

Janiah Barker, the 6-foot-4 forward from Marietta, Georgia, was the headliner. In her lone season at Tennessee, she started 21 of 27 games and averaged a career-best 14.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, leading the squad in rebounding and ranking second in scoring. She scored in double figures 21 times, including six games with 20 or more points, and knocked down a career-high 36 three-pointers at a 36.5 percent clip.  

Caldwell: "Congratulations to JB on being selected by the Las Vegas Aces! Our staff is really excited to watch her grow, and we can't wait to see what she does in the league. We are proud to see her become the 47th player in program history to be taken in the WNBA Draft and look forward to following her career."

Her path to Knoxville was a winding one. She spent time at Texas A&M and UCLA before joining Coach Kim Caldwell’s program for her senior season, and she rewarded that trust with her best basketball.

Zee Spearman, also a 6-foot-4 forward and a product of Dacula, Georgia, closed out her two-year Tennessee career on a strong note. She averaged 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while starting all 27 contests, setting career highs in three-pointers made, assists, blocked shots, and steals. She finished her time at UT averaging 11.0 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field. 

Caldwell: "Congratulations to Zee on being picked by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA Draft! We are all very proud of the development she has shown during her two seasons at Tennessee, and we are proud she earned this chance to play beyond college as our 48th draft pick. We can't wait to see what the future holds for her in professional basketball."

Their selections add to a legacy that few programs can match. Since the WNBA’s inaugural draft, Tennessee has produced 21 first-round selections and 44 total picks second of all-time only to UConn. That legacy was built by the late Pat Summitt, whose culture of discipline and development shaped legends like Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, and Chamique Holdsclaw. 

A Program in Reset Mode

The fallout from the early exit to the WNCAA tournament was swift and total. 

All eight players from last season’s roster entered the transfer portal, leaving Caldwell facing a complete roster reset.  

To compound matters, five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards, the No. 2 recruit in the 2026 class requested a release from her letter of intent, citing the program’s upheaval. 

Building From Scratch

3rd year HC Kim Caldwell has wasted no time after finishing the 2025-26 season with a 16-14 record. Every single player on the roster entered the NCAA transfer portal. Tennessee freshman Jaida Civil was the last returner standing, and after she announced her intentions to enter the portal, the Lady Vols had no returners from the 2025-26 season. The Lady Vols have quickly secured two transfer portal commitments: Avery Mills, a guard from Liberty, and Naomi White, a guard from Northern Arizona, both committed after official visits to Knoxville. 

Avery Mills brings immediate offensive punch. In 2025-26, she averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting just under 50 percent from three-point range at Liberty. 

Naomi White may be the most exciting addition of the bunch. The redshirt-freshman guard was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference after finishing as the top-scoring freshman in the country at 20.8 points per game. She also led the Big Sky in three-pointers made and percentage, averaging 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. 

A 2025  fall roster commitment comes from Gabby Minus, a 6-foot guard from Dacula, Georgia. The only recruit who stayed with her commitment through the program’s upheaval.

Caldwell: “Gabby is a high-motor player who will come in ready to compete. The moment she steps on campus, our competitiveness will rise. Her energy and infectious personality will be a great addition to our Lady Vol family.”

Transfer portal additions (as of April 13, 2026):

Harper Peterson 6-foot-3 forward from Stanford. She completed her sophomore season with the Cardinal and will have two years of eligibility remaining. 

Zhen Craft, 6-foot-2 forward from Georgia. The  most recent commit, announced Monday. She averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 27 games as a true freshman with the Bulldogs, shooting 46.9% from the field. She was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, ranked No. 64 nationally by ESPN.

Rylie Theuerkauf, a transfer guard from Georgia Bulldogs women’s basketball. Theuerkauf announced her decision on April 14 after visiting Knoxville, giving Tennessee another experienced SEC player through the transfer portal. Theuerkauf, a 5-foot-9 guard, brings proven scoring ability and perimeter shooting to the Lady Vols’ backcourt. She averaged around 11–12 points per game at Georgia and knocked down a strong number of three-pointers, making her an immediate offensive contributor. 

Kim Caldwell also bolstered her coaching staff, adding Brian Ferrara from Florida State and Isoken Uzamere from Georgia as assistant coaches.  The transfer portal remains open until April 20, and more additions are expected.

On Isoken Uzamere:

“We are thrilled to welcome Isoken Uzamere to our staff. She is highly-regarded in our profession and has consistently demonstrated the skill set and personal characteristics to be a valued contributor in her previous stops. We are very happy to have her join our program.”

On Brian Ferrara:

“I am pleased to welcome Bill to our staff. He has played an instrumental role in Florida State’s high-scoring offense and three-point shooting over the past four seasons. We look forward to adding his technical knowledge, experience and recruiting abilities to our program.”

The Road Ahead

The contrast of this weekend tells the full story of where Tennessee women’s basketball stands. Two players just realized lifelong dreams at the professional level, proof that Kim Caldwell can develop and attract top-end talent. But the program now enters a third-year rebuild with a roster that, for the moment, has more question marks than answers.

The foundation of history is there. The recruiting infrastructure is there. Whether the program can reload quickly enough, and whether this new group of players fits her up-tempo, pressure-based system better than the last will define the next chapter in Knoxville.