Lady Vols basketball’s transfer portal class is complete. Tennessee has brought in 15 newcomers in the form of 13 transfer portal commitments and a pair of incoming freshmen in the class of 2026.
The incoming group mixes a bunch of different skillsets and prior experiences. Some come in for their final season after succeeding at the Power Four level. Others enter with little experience after shining at mid-majors.
For the 13 transfers, I went through and compiled superlatives for each of the new Lady Vols so you get to know the class a little bit better.
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Best Scorer
G Kaylene Smikle (Maryland)
I think by the end of next season, we’ll be looking at Maryland transfer guard Kaylene Smikle as the best player on the team. The issue is the injury she suffered that shut her down for last season. It’s currently unclear when she’ll be able to return and if it will leak into the upcoming season.
The year before last, she proved to be one of the best scorers in the Big Ten, though. She averaged 17.9 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 34.7% on threes. She should get plenty of looks in Caldwell’s system, and if healthy, could be an All-SEC candidate.
Best Rebounder
F Fatmata Janneh (Texas A&M)
This one wasn’t much of a competition. Fatmata Janneh has not only proved to be a great rebounder in her college tenure at St. Peter’s, but did it at the SEC level a year ago, too. With the Aggies, she ripped down 9.7 rebounds per contest, which ranked in the top five in the conference.
With not too much height on the roster, Janneh is going to have to help the Lady Vols stay in the battle on the glass. She stands at 6-foot-2, and her presence in the paint will be critical.
Best Playmaker
G Kennedy Fauntleroy (East Carolina)
This one was tough to pick between Kennedy Fauntleroy out of East Carolina and Jada Eads out of Seton Hall. I’ll side with the more experienced Fauntleroy, though.
This past season at ECU, Fauntleroy produced 4.8 assists per game. Eads posted 4.1. I don’t think you can go wrong with either pick, but Fauntleroy would be my pick to lead the team in assists next year.
Best Shooter
G Rylie Theuerkauf (Georgia)
Of everyone on the Lady Vols, open shot, the fate of the universe on the line, the Martians have the death beam pointed at Earth, you better hit it, I want Georgia transfer Rylie Theuerkauf.
As a junior with the Bulldogs, Theuerkauf hit a blistering 42.4% of her threes. This wasn’t on a low attempt rate, either. She attempted 5.5 threes per game and connected on 2.2. With how many open threes this system can produce, Theuerkauf could put up some crazy numbers.
Best Defender
G Kennedy Fauntleroy (East Carolina)
It’s tough not to pick the reigning Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the American Conference as the best defender on the team. While I don’t think her defense will translate to that extent in the SEC, she could be a force in the press.
With the Pirates, Fauntleroy came up with 2.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. At 5-foot-7, she gives up a bit of size in the SEC, but she could have video game numbers in the steal column next year.
Most Underrated
G Naomi White (Northern Arizona)
Don’t be surprised if Naomi White puts together a really strong season. She’s still young, entering her redshirt-sophomore year, but she was incredible to watch at Northern Arizona a year ago.
With the Lumberjacks, she posted 20.8 points per game on 39.2% shooting from the field and 36.5% on threes. I don’t think she’ll be able to produce over 20 points per contest in the SEC, but she could be a massive piece of the offense and find herself averaging double figures.
Potential X-Factor
F Aaliyah Moore (Texas)
If Tennessee gets a healthy Aaliyah Moore, it would go a long, long way. The former All-Big 12 performer impacted the game as a scorer and rebounder for Texas, but missed so much time due to injury since.
Now, she’s had over a year to sit out and recover. If she can find a clean bill of health and start to find her footing again, she could also be a significant piece of a team that is thin at forward.
