Lady Vols basketball star guard Talaysia Cooper has been named to the 2026 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. She is one of 25 players across the country to be placed on the list and one of 12 players from the SEC.
Cooper was a semifinalist for the award a year ago. She was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team for her impressive campaign under the direction of new head coach Kim Caldwell.
Cooper is currently averaging 3.375 steals per game as a key piece of Caldwell’s press. This ranks 14th nationally on the season to this point. If her average holds, it’d rank third in Tennessee program history for steals per game in a single season. She only trails Holly Warlick with a career average of 3.18 steals per game in Lady Vols history, as well.
More From RTI: Lady Vols Basketball Leaps Forward in Updated AP Poll After Win Over Kentucky
The Lady Vols jumped up to No. 15 in the country in the most recent AP Poll. Tennessee owns a 14-3 (6-0 SEC) record and stands atop the SEC standings alone as the only team to not lose a conference game so far.
Next, the Lady Vols will host Mississippi State on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will air on SECN+.
On top of her scoring effort, Cooper is pacing Tennessee in scoring, as well, and will be pivotal in the game against the Bulldogs and beyond. She is averaging 14.4 points per game on 42.3% shooting from the field, 32.6% from range and 64% at the free throw line.
Cooper is also producing 5.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.4 blocks per game. She’s played in 16 games, starting in 13 of the contests.
