The SEC Coaches Preseason Poll and All-SEC Teams were released on Wednesday morning, and the Tennessee women’s basketball team is picked to finish fifth and redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper has been projected to make the All-SEC First Team.
The Lady Vols, ranked No. 8 nationally in the AP Preseason Poll, picked up their second prediction to finish among the league’s top five. They were voted fourth by the media on Oct. 13.
Texas tops the order of finish, with South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vanderbilt rounding out the top half the standings. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Auburn and Arkansas round out the bottom half.
Reflecting the SEC’s current national stature, Texas, South Carolina, and LSU rank fourth, second, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the AP Poll with UT just behind them at No. 8. Ole Miss checks in at No. 12, while Vanderbilt is 19th and Kentucky 24th.
Cooper picked up her second preseason honor after being named to the media’s All-SEC Second Team a little over a week ago. The 6-foot guard started 27 of 34 games for UT a year ago and averaged a team-leading 16.6 points, 3.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per contest. She was second for UT with 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and finished fourth in three-pointers made (36).
Cooper’s scoring average in 2024-25 tied her for ninth at Tennessee in career scoring average after one season, and she tied for sixth in a season all-time at UT as well as No. 1 in the SEC and eighth nationally a year ago with 105 steals. Her steals average of 3.088 ranked third in a season and second in a career all-time at UT while standing No. 1 in the SEC and No. 10 nationally in 2024-25. Additionally, she carded the third-most steals in a game ever by a Lady Vol, grabbing nine vs. Oklahoma.
Cooper and the Lady Vols hit the court at Food City Center next Wednesday, as they play host to Columbus State in an exhibition game at 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+). Tickets are available at AllVols.com.
SEC Coaches Preseason Poll
- Texas
- South Carolina
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Ole Miss
- Kentucky
- Vanderbilt
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Mississippi State
- Texas A&M
- Missouri
- Auburn
- Arkansas
SEC Player of the Year
Madison Booker, Texas
All-SEC First Team
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Madison Booker, Texas
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
All-SEC Second Team
Essence Cody, Alabama
Liv McGill, Florida
Teonni Key, Kentucky
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Payton Verhulst, Oklahoma
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Rori Harmon, Texas
