HARTFORD, CT – February 01, 2026 – The Tennessee Lady Volunteers during the game between the UConn Huskies and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, CT. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
With the season ending this past Friday, Lady Vols basketball has already lost a player to the transfer portal. Former five-star freshman Deniya Prawl is set to enter the portal once it opens in April, according to a report from former Tennessee player turned ESPN analyst Andraya Carter.
Prawl was a McDonald’s All-American in the 2025 class, one of five key signees for Tennessee. On ESPNW, she clocked in as the No. 17 player in the cycle. She trailed just Mia Pauldo as the highest-rated signee in the class for the Lady Vols.
In her freshman season, Prawl averaged 4.0 points per game on 41.3% shooting from the field and 14.7% from three. She also contributed 2.7 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.
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This season, Tennessee finished 16-14 (8-8 SEC). The Lady Vols were the 6-seed in the SEC Tournament, but lost to Alabama in the second round. They earned a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but lost to NC State in the Round of 64 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Friday.
This featured an eight-game losing streak and defeats in 11 of their last 13 games to round out the year. After the game, Caldwell described the process of retention and roster construction that will transpire.
“I think that this world is kind of crazy of we’ll meet when we get back and we’ll figure out who wants to stay, what we’re going to do,” Caldwell said. “And I think the portal, we have a little while before it opens to get there, but it’s just going to continue to be crazier and crazier every year.”
Prawl is the first player to announce their intention to enter the transfer portal, but more may follow. It will not officially open until after the conclusion of the national title game in early April.
