After facing personnel losses due to graduation and transfer, Caldwell and her staff signed 13 players out of the portal in April and have two more joining from the prep ranks. The Lady Vols will feature six seniors/redshirt seniors, three juniors, four sophomores/redshirt sophomores and two freshmen. One of the freshmen was 2025 fall signee Gabby Minus, who reaffirmed her initial commitment to UT this spring.
“We had to do it quickly,” Caldwell said of her staff’s portal recruiting. “I am really pleased with the work that we put in over three weeks. We wanted to make sure that we constructed our roster in a way that balanced each other, that we had players that could fit in multiple roles and could shoot the ball.
“The biggest thing is we wanted to recruit heart and people that wanted to work hard and people that knew what was at stake. We really tried to hammer that home in our visits of how hard it was going to be and see if they were up to the challenge, and they all were.”
The group features nine players from Power 4 schools, including five from SEC universities. Eight of Tennessee’s newcomers were ranked by USA TODAY among its top 125 portal players, including No. 19 Kaylene Smikle (Maryland), No. 30 Naomi White (Northern Arizona), No. 46 Fatmata “Fats” Janneh (Texas A&M), No. 57 Rylie Theuerkauf (Georgia), No. 86 Harissoum Coulibaly (Auburn), No. 91 Kennedy Fauntleroy (East Carolina), No. 105 Jada Eads (Seton Hall) and No. 110 Aaliyah Moore (Texas).
“I think it’s pretty clear that we chased production and players that produced, and obviously some things translate better when you jump in levels,” Caldwell said. “When you look at three-point shooting, the three-point line doesn’t move back. You obviously check out the film, numbers, stats across the board.”
After finishing the 2025-26 campaign outside the national polls, Tennessee has been rated No. 25 in USA TODAY Sports’ “way-too-early top 25,” based on the roster that Caldwell and her staff have built for 2026-27. The Big Orange’s incoming players are listed below alphabetically with the head coach’s comments on each.
HARISSOUM COULIBALY (5-10, So., G, Paris, France/S3 Academy (Va.)/Auburn)
“Harissoum Coulibaly is an extreme athlete who will thrive in our defensive system. She is a downhill player who will push pace for us, offensively, and she joins us with proven scoring ability in the SEC.”
ZHEN CRAFT (6-2, So., F, Waldorf, Md./Bishop McNamara H.S./Georgia)
“Zhen Craft is a passionate player with a huge upside. With the freedom she will have here, offensively, I know she will grow tremendously. She is a proven player in the SEC, and I cannot wait to coach her.”
JADA EADS (5-7, Jr., G, Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep H.S./Seton Hall)
“Jada Eads is a dynamic playmaker who is ready to lead us on the offensive and defensive ends. Her defensive presence will be challenging for our opponents. She is hungry to get back on the court and will work relentlessly to get there.”
KENNEDY FAUNTLEROY (5-7, R-Sr., G, Upper Marlboro, Md./New Hope Academy/Georgetown/Okla. St./Ariz. St./ECU)
“Kennedy Fauntleroy brings tenacity and fire to our point guard position. Her pace and pressure will impact us immediately. She will fill up the stat sheet on both ends of the floor by finding shooters in transition and getting steals in the full court.”
FATMATA “FATS” JANNEH (6-2, Sr., F, London, England/Barking Abbey Sixth Form/St. Peter’s/Texas A&M)
“Fatmata Janneh brings a huge personality and a blue-collar mentality to Tennessee. She is one of the best rebounders in the country, and our fans will absolutely love her.”
RILEY MAKALUSKY (6-2, Sr., F, Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern H.S./Butler/West Virginia)
“Riley Makalusky is an efficient scorer with great shooting ability. Her length and size paired with her NCAA Tournament experience will propel us forward immediately.”
AVERY MILLS (5-9, Jr., G, Lynchburg, Va./Lynchburg H.S./Liberty)
“Avery Mills brings toughness, leadership and sharp shooting that will translate to the SEC immediately. She is a great player and an even better person. Her impact on our team will be great, both on and off the floor.”
GABBY MINUS (6-1, Fr., G/F, Dacula, Ga./Hebron Christian Academy)
“Gabby Minus is a tough-nosed, hard-working player who will come in as a freshman and have a lasting impact. Her passion and love for the University of Tennessee are contagious. I am really excited about coaching Gabby.”
AALIYAH MOORE (6-1, R-Sr., F, Moore, Okla./Moore H.S./Texas)
“Aaliyah Moore has a grit and toughness about her that are invaluable. Her experience playing in the SEC as well as having history with the NCAA Tournament will be huge for us once we get into conference play. I’m excited for her to take a huge step this season.”
IRENE OBOAVWODUO (5-10, Fr., G, Manchester, England/Trinity Church of England H.S.)
“Irene Oboavwoduo brings professional basketball experience and is considered a rising star of basketball at the national level in Great Britain. We are excited for her to get here. Her play-making ability and size on the perimeter will serve her well in the SEC.”
HARPER PETERSON (6-3, R-So., F, Rocklin, Calif./Whitney H.S./Stanford)
“Harper Peterson is a player who will affect the ball on both ends of the floor. Her shot making ability paired with her length on the defensive end will be a huge value for us.”
KAYLENE SMIKLE (6-0, R-Sr., G, Bay Shore, N.Y./Westtown H.S./Rutgers/Maryland)
“Kaylene Smikle is an elite scorer and a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. She can score in a variety of ways and will be a match-up problem for opponents.”
SHAELYN STEELE (5-6, Jr., G, Ashland, Ky./Russell H.S./Penn State)
“Shae Steele is an athletic guard and an elite defender. She will fit in perfectly in our press defense and will cause chaos all over the floor. She plays extremely hard, and our fans will love her.”
RYLIE THEUERKAUF (5-9, Sr., G, Tenafly, N.J./Tenafly H.S./Wake Forest/Georgia)
“Rylie Theuerkauf is a proven SEC player and one of the best shooters in the country. She has so much more to her game that I cannot wait for her to showcase this season. She brings an intense, competitive mindset that our fans will enjoy.”
NAOMI WHITE (5-9, R-So., G, Omaha, Neb./Bellevue West H.S./Grand Canyon/Northern Arizona)
“Naomi White was one of the most prolific scorers in the country as a freshman last season. She is able to score in a multitude of ways that will translate to our offensive scheme perfectly.”
