(L to R) Tennessee HC Kim Caldwell and Tennessee AD Danny White. Photo via Tennessee Athletics.
It’s a bleak time for Lady Vols basketball. Tennessee is coming off a Round of 64 exit in the NCAA Tournament as the 10-seed. Now, the transfer portal is open, and each potential returner has already announced their intention to leave the program. Incoming five-star freshman Oliviyah Edwards has also requested a release from her signing.
With just incoming four-star freshman Gabby Minus signed up to play for Tennessee next season, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe has seen enough. She called out UT Athletic Director Danny White for how he has overseen the program on her X account in a now-deleted post.
“What Danny White is allowing to happen to @LadyVol_Hoops is making me so sad,” Rowe wrote. “Gut wrenching to watch him let one of the greatest programs in womens sports history disintegrate. I am devastated.”
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 womens sports history disintegrate. I am devastated.
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) April 6, 2026
More From RTI: Lady Vols Basketball, Kim Caldwell Returning No Players From Last Season’s Team
With the season winding down, White was asked about Caldwell’s standing at Tennessee. On March 4, he fully backed the head coach he hired to replace Kellie Harper ahead of the 2024-25 season.
“I think she is doing a great job,” White said on WMNL. “I am as confident in her as I was the day I hired her – more confident. Just getting a chance to work closely with her and see how talented she is as a basketball mind, as a leader. This season has not met anyone’s expectations. Most importantly and most of all, hers. She is incredibly competitive. Not surprised to see the narrative around it – both positive and negative.”
Caldwell is now turning her attention to rebuilding the team through the portal. With just Minus on board at the moment, she’ll need multiple big splashes and complementary pieces to commit in order to compete in the always-tough SEC in her third season.
