The countdown is on for Tennessee women’s basketball, and the first officially scheduled game of the 2026-27 season is now just 100 days away. The Lady Vols are set to open Nov. 5 at Coppin State, though the calendar could move even earlier since teams are allowed to begin scheduling as soon as Nov. 1.
With Kim Caldwell heading into her third season, the roster is still taking shape, and the biggest questions are easy to spot. Size, scoring and health will go a long way toward deciding how this team looks once the games start.
The most obvious concern is what Tennessee will do on the glass and inside the paint. Rebuilding the roster meant finding players who can rebound and hold up against post players, and that area remains the biggest unknown. Texas A&M transfer Fatmata Janneh is projected to be the team’s top rebounder after doing the job well in the SEC last season, but at 6-foot-2, she’ll be giving up plenty of size against some of the league’s bigger frontcourt players if she’s forced into heavy defensive work in the post.
The other forwards expected to help on the boards are Aaliyah Moore from Texas, Zhen Craft from Georgia, Harper Peterson from Stanford and Riley Makalusky from West Virginia. Peterson is the tallest of the group at 6-foot-3, which means Tennessee will be at a height disadvantage against most SEC opponents.
Scoring should be less of a mystery, at least on paper. Maryland transfer Kaylene Smikle is projected to be the team’s leading scorer after a standout year two seasons ago before an injury cut short last year.
Naomi White also brings real offensive punch after a freshman season in which she scored at a high level for Northern Arizona, though she now has to prove that production carries over at this level. Kennedy Fauntleroy and Jada Eads fit a similar mold, with both arriving after double-figure scoring seasons at ECU and Seton Hall, respectively.
There are also several players who could grow into bigger roles after coming from SEC programs. That list includes Georgia’s Rylie Theuerkauf, Georgia’s Zhen Craft, Auburn’s Harissoum Coulibaly, Texas A&M’s Fatmata Janneh and Texas’ Aaliyah Moore.
Health may end up being the swing factor for the whole season. Tennessee has several players working back from injuries, and the summer brought another setback when Liberty transfer Avery Mills suffered an ACL and meniscus injury that required surgery.
All eyes will also be on Smikle’s recovery after knee surgery following just seven games last season. Tennessee will need her on the floor to have a real shot at reaching its goals.
Moore is another key name to watch. She was excellent when healthy at Texas, but she didn’t play at all last season and appeared in only 19 games the year before.
Jada Eads is also coming off a season-ending knee injury, while Harper Peterson’s college career already includes one injury-shortened season. Peterson recovered enough to play a limited role off the bench for Stanford last year, but her health remains part of the picture as Tennessee heads toward the start of the season.
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Tennessee Faces A Uniform Decision Fans Never Expected This Soon
College athletics is entering a new revenue era, and Tennessee now has a decision it probably did not expect to be facing this quickly. After the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved commercial patches on uniforms, equipment and apparel, schools suddenly have a fresh way to bring in money, and Ohio State has already shown how big the market could be with a reported JPMorgan Chase agreement that includes NIL opportunities.
For Tennessee, the question is not whether the idea is real anymore, but how soon the Volunteers might want to act. The most obvious path would seem to involve a company already tied closely to UT Athletics, though any move would have to balance new revenue against the fan bases attachment to the programs clean look. With football season less than a month away, there is a real sense that if Tennessee wants to capitalize on this opening, the clock is already ticking. [Read more 🡒]
Bret Bielema Just Gave Tennessee Fans Another Reason To Be Furious
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For Vols fans, the irritation is not just about the jab itself. Bielemas history in the SEC already made him a familiar target, and his recent win over Tennessee only sharpened the edge of his comments. Illinois edged the Vols 30-28 in the Music City Bowl last December, so every new dig from Bielema carries a little extra weight in Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Heupel Is Taking Another Massive Recruiting Swing After Georges Win
Josh Heupel is taking another big swing on the recruiting trail as Tennessee pushes to stay in the mix for one of the nations most coveted defensive prospects. The Vols are reportedly working to flip a five-star EDGE recruit who remains committed to Ohio State, adding another layer to a battle that has already become familiar for Tennessee as the early signing period in December draws closer.
The prospect has drawn attention from plenty of programs beyond Knoxville and Columbus, including Miami, and his recruitment is still very much in motion. For Tennessee, the effort fits a broader push to keep stacking elite talent after recent success against the Buckeyes, but this one is still unsettled and will likely stay that way as the contact and competition continue. [Read more 🡒]