KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee women’s basketball team invites fans to Food City Center on Saturday morning, Oct. 17, to attend the Axle All-Access practice prior to the Vol football game vs. Alabama that afternoon.
Gates will open at 9:30 a.m. in advance of the 10 a.m. scrimmage. Fans can enter the arena through Gates C and D. Admission is free to watch the Lady Volunteers scrimmage against the male practice players. Afterward, select UT players will be on hand for a 30-minute autograph session from approximately noon to 12:30 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to sit in Sections 103, 104, 105, 106 and 107. Concession stands will be closed, and there will be no public parking available on campus, as lots are allocated to pass holders for the Tennessee-Alabama football game.
The Lady Vols, who are ranked No. 25 in the USA TODAY Sports “Way-Too-Early” Top 25, head into year three of the Kim Caldwell era and seek their third straight NCAA appearance under her watch and the program’s 45th consecutive overall.
Caldwell will lead a rebuilt 15-player roster, comprised of 13 transfers and two freshmen. USA TODAY Sports rated the Big Orange’s portal class No. 9 overall and No. 2 in the SEC, while On3 has Tennessee tabbed at No. 10 overall and fourth in the SEC. Nine of those newcomers were double-figure scorers at their previous schools, and eight have earned individual postseason accolades for their play.
ESPN has Kaylene Smikle rated No. 14 in its 2026 portal class player rankings. USA TODAY has the following players ranked among its top portal acquisitions: No. 19 Kaylene Smikle (Maryland), No. 30 Naomi White (Northern Arizona), No. 46 Fatmata Janneh (Texas A&M), No. 57 Rylie Theuerkauf (Georgia), No. 87 Harissoum Coulibaly (Auburn), No. 91 Kennedy Fauntleroy (East Carolina), No. 105 Jada Eads (Seton Hall) and No. 110 Aaliyah Moore (Texas).
Other transfers include Zhen Craft (Georgia), Riley Makalusky (West Virginia), Avery Mills (Liberty), Harper Peterson (Stanford ) and Shaelyn Steele (Penn State). Mills, however, will be out of action for an extended period of time due to a knee injury suffered during the summer of 2026.
Along with a class of 13 transfers, Kim Caldwell and her staff added a pair of freshmen. Gabby Minus, the Metro Atlanta Player of the Year, was rated No. 47 by 247Sports and No. 62 in the SportsCenter NEXT 100. Irene Oboavwoduo, meanwhile, has extensive international experience and has played on the Great Britain Senior Women’s National Team.
The Lady Vols will host an exhibition game on Oct. 27 in Food City Center, as they welcome LVFL Bridgette Gordon and her Florida A&M squad at 6:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be streamed on SECN+. The season opener is slated for Nov. 2, with Duquesne visiting Rocky Top at 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+).
To keep up with the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team on social media, follow @LadyVol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /BallWithTheLadyVols on Facebook.
