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Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell during a basketball game between the Lady Vols and Samford held at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
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Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell during a basketball game between the Lady Vols and Samford held at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
Two years ago, Kim Caldwell delivered a mic-drop closing statement at her introductory press conference. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could do it here,” she said. Cut to today, her position is hanging by a thread. Caldwell has Tennessee struggling after a program-worst 16-14 season, with all players and two assistant coaches leaving amid controversy surrounding the program. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as Caldwell’s first recruit has signaled a new path.
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Kim Caldwell was inches away from losing her job with the Lady Vols. The fanbase has severely criticized her. “Multiple people have gone to the AD, including, I believe, kids around the program and have encouraged him to make a change,” said Vols Radio Legend Tony Basilio. “I don’t think he wants to admit that he made a mistake.” Yet Danny White has backed her, saying, “I think she is doing a great job. I am as confident in her as I was the day I hired her—more confident.” Now, Caldwell is under pressure to deliver and her first step indicates a correction to her past mistakes.
Kim Caldwell has confirmed that they have signed Avery Mills from Liberty. Mills averaged 15.3 points this season while shooting 42.7% from 3-point range on a whopping 7.4 attempts per game. That three-point percentage and attempt rate are more than any Lady Vol had this past season. She earned First Team All-Conference honors and was also named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2024. More importantly, she believes in Caldwell and her vision.
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“I’ve definitely gotten that even from friends and people on social media,” Mills said in an interview with John Sartori. “What I have to say is I strongly believe in Coach Kim. Regardless of the doubts, regardless of what people may be thinking, we’re going to do what we do. We’re going to put the work in.”
Caldwell’s system is reliant on the outside shooting. But it just did not work last season. They attempted the fourth-most threes (917) of any team in the country and the most of any Power Four program. They hit just 30.5% of those attempts, the 191st-best team percentage. The team lacked accurate shooters. It was a team construction issue, as none of their top 3 three-point shooters had averaged above 32% before they came to the Lady Vols. But Mills seems like an immediate fit in that regard.
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Tennessee basketball coach Kim Caldwell talks with guard/forward Lauren Hurst (7) during an NCAA college basketball game against the Florida Gators on January 1, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn.
“That was very important,” Mills said in an interview with Volquest. “I love to shoot it, whether that is in transition or in the half-court. That is what I love to do. And I really just saw myself fitting perfectly into her system of being gritty and working hard and getting in the gym.
Along with Mills, Northern Arizona’s Naomi White has also committed to the program. The 5-foot-9 redshirt freshman led the Lumberjacks in scoring, averaging 20.8 points, which ranked No. 15 in the nation and made her the top-scoring freshman in the country. White, who was the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, also averaged 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 steals. She shot 36.5% on 7.9 attempts from 3-point range per game.
Now, Caldwell is recruiting players that fit her system rather than going by just ranking and reputation. Much like during her first year, when they made 63 more threes than this past season and reached the Sweet 16. Furthermore, Caldwell is determined to prove everyone wrong.
Kim Caldwell And Avery Mills Have A “Chip On Their Shoulder”
Kim Caldwell’s massive failure this past season earned the ire of ESPN analyst Holly Rowe. “What Danny White is allowing to happen to @LadyVol_Hoops is making me so sad. Gut-wrenching to watch him let one of the greatest programs in women’s sports history disintegrate. I am devastated,” Rowe posted. She deleted the tweet but not because she did not believe in it.
Rowe said the reason she took the post down was because people twisted it into “something ugly.” Regardless, what she wrote was something many in the college basketball community feel. The program has a legacy of legends like Pat Summitt, Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings, and it has won multiple National Championships. But Avery and Caldwell are set out to correct their current state.
“We both have that chip, and it’s a big chip,” Mills said. “We’re ready, and I’m really excited to show what I can do, show what she can do not only to help the Lady Vols win next season, but preserve the legacy on Rocky Top. It makes me want to work even harder.”
Yet, this is not even the starting whistle; the race is yet to begin. Caldwell faces a difficult path rebuilding this team from scratch. But one thing is clear: Kim Caldwell has learned from her mistakes.
Written by
Edited by
Snigdhaa Jaiswal