This offseason, Kim Caldwell and Lady Vols basketball were tasked with building their new roster from scratch. As a result, Tennessee signed 13 new transfers and a pair of incoming freshmen to fill out its 15-player roster.
Now, with the dust settling around the transfer portal, USA TODAY’s Mitchell Northam released his top-15 portal classes in the country. This featured the Lady Vols clocking in at No. 9 in the country.
“Tennessee didn’t bring in any flashy, All-American type names, but — Lady Vols’ fans hope — ones that fit Caldwell’s style of play,” Northam wrote. “(Kaylene) Smikle averages 17.1 points per game across her career in the Big Ten, (Naomi) White was 15th nationally in scoring this past season as a rookie at Northern Arizona, (Fatmata) Janneh proved she could play in the paint in the SEC at Texas A&M, and (Kennedy) Fauntleroy is a well-traveled veteran guard who has won conference awards in the Big East and American.”
Tennessee’s mark in the rankings is the second-highest among SEC programs. The only conference foe with a better haul is Ole Miss at No. 3. The Rebels’ class features Lady Vols transfers Talaysia Cooper and Jaida Civil. Deniya Prawl’s Louisville also checks in at No. 6.
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Here’s a recap of the 15 new players that will make up the Lady Vols’ roster:
Incoming Transfers
G Avery Mills (Liberty)
- Height: 5-foot-9
- Year: Junior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 15.3 points
- 4.0 rebounds
- 2.2 assists
G Naomi White (Northern Arizona)
- Height: 5-foot-9
- Year: R-Sophomore
- 2025-26 stats:
- 20.8 points
- 5.3 rebounds
- 1.8 assists
F Harper Peterson (Stanford)
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Year: R-Sophomore
- 2025-26 stats:
- 1.1 points
- 0.7 rebounds
- 0.1 assists
F Zhen Craft (Georgia)
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Year: Sophomore
- 2025-26 stats:
- 5.7 points
- 4.2 rebounds
- 1.0 assists
G Rylie Theuerkauf (Georgia)
- Height: 5-foot-9
- Year: Senior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 11.9 points
- 2.0 rebounds
- 1.1 assists
G Harissoum Coulibaly (Auburn)
- Height: 5-foot-10
- Year: Sophomore
- 2025-26 stats:
- 10.4 points
- 3.0 rebounds
- 1.6 assists
F Fatmata Janneh (Texas A&M)
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Year: Senior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 11.4 points
- 9.7 rebounds
- 1.1 assists
G Kaylene Smikle (Maryland)
- Height: 6-foot
- Year: R-Senior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 13.1 points
- 3.9 rebounds
- 1.6 assists
G Shaelyn Steele (Penn State)
- Height: 5-foot-6
- Year: Junior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 1.8 points
- 2.7 rebounds
- 1.1 assists
G Jada Eads (Seton Hall)
- Height: 5-foot-7
- Year: Junior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 10.6 points
- 5.1 rebounds
- 4.1 assists
F Aaliyah Moore (Texas)
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Year: Sixth Year
- 2025-26 stats:
- DNP
- 2024-25 stats:
- 7.9 points
- 4.6 rebounds
- 0.7 assists
G Kennedy Fauntleroy (East Carolina)
- Height: 5-foot-7
- Year: R-Senior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 13.7 points
- 3.4 rebounds
- 4.8 assists
F Riley Makalusky (West Virginia)
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Year: Senior
- 2025-26 stats:
- 4.7 points
- 2.0 rebounds
- 0.4 assists
Incoming Freshmen
G Gabby Minus
- Height: 6-foot
- Year: Freshman
G Irene Oboavwoduo
- Height: 5-foot-10
- Year: Freshman
