A backcourt player who was destined to take responsibility for the reins of Tennessee in the 2025-26 season faltered due to an off-court incident last year. The repercussions were immense: Kim Caldwell was forced to dismiss her from the roster, leaving the experienced guard without any game time this season. However, amid this troubling period, the former Tennessee guard is moving on to a Big 12 conference team to kickstart her collegiate career.

Ruby Whitehorn, a 6’0 guard who was pivotal in the Lady Vols’ Sweet Sixteen run in the 2024-25 season, is reportedly transferring to Arizona State in the west. Notably, Whitehorn was removed by Caldwell and the Lady Vols front office from the WBB roster following a series of legal charges ahead of the 2025-26 season tipoff.

On3 reporter Talia Goodman shared a brief update regarding Whitehorn’s transfer on X. “BREAKING: Former Tennessee player Ruby Whitehorn has transferred to Arizona State, she announced,” the caption of the post read.

Whitehorn’s stint with the Lady Vols was a bit tumultuous. Initially, in August last year, Whitehorn was charged with two felonies of domestic assault and burglary. She pleaded guilty to these charges and was subsequently reinstated to the team. A couple of months later, in October, the former Tennessee guard was amid a legal charge again as she was found in possession and faced charges of simple misdemeanor.

This was the breaking point for Caldwell and the Tennessee Lady Vols. And just a couple of days later, the former made an announcement regarding the repercussions of Whitehorn’s actions. “In light of recent events, Ruby has been unable to reflect those standards, and I have made the difficult decision to dismiss her from our team,” Caldwell said.

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In her only season with Tennessee, Whitehorn was immensely impressive. She became a regular starter for the team, averaging 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in the 2024-25 season. Whitehorn’s stint with Clemson during her initial two collegiate years was also fruitful, as she scored over 700 points. Now, with her move to Arizona State, Whitehorn hopes to showcase the same spark next season after sitting out most of the 2025-26 period.

Arizona State head coach Molly Miller is quite confident that Whitehorn will thrive with the Sun Devils. “I’m here to help young people,” she said. “Our culture gives Ruby an opportunity to grow and I believe she can be the best version of herself in this environment.”

According to recent updates, Whitehorn has already begun her initial practice sessions with her new teammates at Arizona State. On the other hand, Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols are consistently struggling this season. With 6 losses in the last 8 games, Tennessee is in huge trouble right now. And their latest loss to an unranked Texas A&M Aggies didn’t help them much in this regard.

Kim Caldwell shares a brief message with her team following an upset against Texas A&M

Kim Caldwell’s Tennessee entered the Texas A&M matchup as the favorite, given its stature and decorated roster. However, for the Aggies, it didn’t even matter as they raced to a 10-0 lead right after tipoff. It left the Lady Vols chasing the entire game. But with cold shooting from the perimeters and ball security struggles, Caldwell’s team couldn’t just cope with the Aggies, who eventually clinched an 82-74 win.

For Caldwell, this loss to an unranked team was unjustifiable, and it was quite prevalent in the post-game press conference. “We have to get back to who we were,” Caldwell said in the post-game press conference. “I don’t have words to make this one feel better right now. This is one we didn’t think we should’ve lost. They played great. I don’t want to take anything from that. But we’ve shown we can do it, and we’ll have to get back to it.”

Tennessee also had some positive takeaways from the game. Senior Janiah Barker scored a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds, with 5 of 5 from the perimeter. This performance from Barker quietly signifies how the Lady Vols have been impressive in patches across the season. But for Caldwell, her assessment is clear: She wants her team to play with the intensity they showed at the start of the season.

The Lady Vols started off their season quite perfectly. Caldwell’s team was 14-3 at one point in the season. However, with back-to-back losses to ranked teams like UConn, South Carolina, and Texas, they have fumbled hard. The team currently boasts records, 16-9 and 8-5.

The March Madness ceiling is still quite prominent for Caldwell’s team. However, with March Madness just a couple of weeks away, they simply don’t have much time left. Their next assignment is against No. 11 Oklahoma on Sunday. What are your thoughts regarding this game? Do let us know in the comments.