The Lady Vols basketball program has no shortage of notable alumni. Perhaps none are more notable than Candace Parker, a multi-time national champion at the college level and champion and MVP in the WNBA.
When Kim Caldwell took the job at Tennessee, it meant she’d be taking over the program with as much history as any in the sport. With Parker so involved at UT still, it didn’t take long for the two to meet. Since then, Caldwell has been able to see the impact she has at the university, still.
“She’s an amazing person, regardless of what she has done for this university, but she’s done so much for this university. She really is a true ambassador for women’s sports, for women’s basketball and for Tennessee, and she does a great job. She bleeds… I don’t think I’ve ever seen her not in orange. And she bleeds Tennessee. And so anytime I can ever help her in any way, I would love to do that, just because what she’s done for this program and, again, this university.”
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This impact was felt very recently. While there were many factors in landing No. 2 overall recruit Oliviyah Edwards two weeks ago, Parker being on campus certainly helped. Parker had previously publicly spoken about her wanting Edwards to suit up at her alma mater, and the weekend Parker was at UT as the guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay was the weekend Edwards took her official visit.
While on her visit, Edwards committed to Tennessee, marking the first commitment of the 2026 class for the Lady Vols. This comes after landing five recruits, including three McDonald’s All-Americans, in her first year on the job.
Parker’s impact could be felt further as soon as next season, as well. With Tennessee switching to adidas, Parker, the president of women’s basketball at the company, has some major pull.
