Top-5 Lady Vols recruit Oliviyah Edwards requests release from signing with Tennessee
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Things are not going well for the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program.
5-star prosect Oliviyah Edwards, a Tennessee commit since September of 2025, requested a release from her signing with Tennessee on Saturday. This comes just a few days after Tennessee fired assistant coach Roman Tubner.
As you can see below, Edwards was considered to be one of the best players in the Class of 2026 according to ESPN. Edwards, a gifted athlete who can throw down a dunk, just recently participated in the McDonald’s All-American Game, where she dropped 8 points and 9 rebounds across 15 minutes of action.
With that, the bad has gone to worse for the Lady Vols basketball program. Things were bleak for HC Kim Caldwell and Co. even before losing Edwards.
Not only was Tubner fired, but another assistant — Gabe Lazo — recently left for LSU after resigning from Tennessee on March 27. On top of that, the transfer portal has completely drained Tennessee’s roster. The Lady Vols lost 7 of their 8 potential returners, with Lauren Hurst, Alyssa Latham, Alaysia Cooper, Deniya Prawl, Kaniya Boyd, and Mia and Mya Pauldo all electing to enter the portal.
For now, Jaida Civil is the only possible returner still on the roster.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
