The 2025–26 NCAA season couldn’t have gone much worse for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. And while frustration continues to grow among fans, head coach Kim Caldwell isn’t waiting around for any helping hand, especially when she just lost her leading scorer.

According to reports, the Lady Vols are set to host two Power Four transfers, as Laila Reynolds from the Florida Gators and Mackenzie Nelson from the Virginia Tech Hokies are expected to visit Rocky Top this weekend.

If Caldwell secures Reynolds, she’ll get a 6-foot-1 guard who brings scoring punch after averaging 12.1 points per game last season. Nelson, on the other hand, will offer playmaking after coming off a year where she averaged 5.7 assists for the Hokies.

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While both of them come with two different profiles, they are exactly the kind of pieces Kim Caldwell needs right now.

Just weeks ago, the Lady Vols found themselves dealing with a full-blown roster collapse as four seniors – Kaiya Wynn, Jaelyn Jones, Kayla Davis, and Malaya Bridges – are set to graduate. But the real sting on their team comes as seven players reportedly entered the transfer portal.

Those include lead scorer Talaysia Cooper, Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, and freshman twins Mia and Mya Pauldo. So with only freshman guard Jaida Civil and one other player left on the roster, Tennessee is basically starting over. Now, if you are wondering what led so many players to have the desire to leave the team, we will have to go back to February.

Following a loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks, coach Caldwell went on to publicly lash out at her team during the post-game conference.

“We just had a lot of quit in us tonight,” she said. “And that’s been something that’s been consistent with our team — we’re not comfortable, and things don’t go our way, and I have a team that’ll just quit on you.”

While it wouldn’t be fair to pinpoint that as the only reason why these players want a change in the environment, it certainly seems like the moment that marked the beginning of the end for many players.

Let’s be real, for a program with Tennessee’s history, that kind of reset isn’t just rare, it’s alarming. But the good news is, Kim Caldwell is focused on bringing in new talent aggressively, and she already has her first portal commitment with the addition of Liberty guard Avery Mills.

But while she works to bring new pieces in, one of her biggest losses has already found a new home.

Kim Caldwell loses Talaysia Cooper to Ole Miss

Cooper has been one of the best players for the Lady Vols this season.

With an average of 16.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.7 steals per game, she was one of the best scorers on the team. But after transferring from South Carolina to Tennessee, Cooper has now committed to the Ole Miss Rebels after entering the transfer portal.

The junior guard took to her Instagram to announce her commitment. Where she posted multiple pictures of herself in an Ole Miss jersey and captioned it with, “Fresh Start. Strong Finish 🥀🌹💙❤️ #noceilings #committed.”

The Rebels ended their season at 24-12 after they lost to Minnesota in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. But as they will look to come back stronger next season, the Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin believes Talaysia Cooper may be the missing piece towards that goal.

“Talaysia is a key piece to this reload here at Ole Miss,” she said per Knox News. “I’ve known her since she was in 9th grade, and I’ve always been a fan of her game. There’s no doubt in my mind, Coop will thrive with a fresh start and reach her peak to compete at the highest level and prepare for her future as a pro.”

So as Cooper embraces a fresh start, Kim Caldwell and Tennessee continue to rebuild a team that will ultimately define how quickly the Lady Vols can find their way back.