# 2024–25 Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team

The 2024–25 Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in the 2024–25 college basketball season. Led by head coach Kim Caldwell in her first year, the team plays their games at Thompson–Boling Arena and are members of the Southeastern Conference.
On December 14, the 19th-ranked Lady Vols set an NCAA record for the most three-point field goals made in a game. The team was 30-for-63 in three-pointers, becoming the first NCAA team, men's or women's, to reach that mark. The Lady Vols won the game against North Carolina Central University, 139–59.
Coach Caldwell had to miss coaching the Texas game, following her giving birth to her son, three days prior, on January 20. Assistant coach Jenna Burdette led the team for the game. Caldwell returned courtside to coach the South Carolina game on January 27.

## Previous season

The 2023–24 team finished the season with a 20–13 overall record, 10–6 in the conference. They received a bye in the SEC tournament and advanced to the semifinals, where they lost by one point to South Carolina. The Lady Vols earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, advancing to the second round before losing to North Carolina State. In April 2024, head coach Kellie Harper was fired after five seasons.

## Offseason
### Departures

Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Rickea Jackson | 2 | F | 6'2" | Senior | Detroit, MI | Graduated/2024 WNBA draft; selected 4th overall by Los Angeles Sparks |
| Karoline Striplin | 11 | F | 6'3" | Junior | Hartford, AL | Transferred to Indiana |
| Jasmine Powell | 15 | G | 5'6" | Senior | Detroit, MI | Graduated |
| Tamari Key | 20 | C | 6'5" | RS Senior | Cary, NC | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

Incoming transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
| Samara Spencer | 7 | G | 5'7" | Senior | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Arkansas |
| Lazaria Spearman | 11 | F | 6'4" | Junior | Dacula, GA | Miami (FL) |
| Rapuluchi Ayodele | 15 | F | 6'1" | Senior | Móstoles, Spain | Pittsburgh |
| Alyssa Latham | 32 | F | 6'2" | Sophomore | Glenwood, IL | Syracuse |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2024 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight |
| Kaniya Boyd G | Las Vegas, NV | Centennial High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | N/A |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 95 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2024 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. ||||||

#### 2025 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2025) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight |
| Mia Pauldo PG | Denville, NJ | Morris Catholic High School | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | N/A |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 |||||||
| Deniya Prawl W | Toronto, ON | IMG Academy | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | N/A |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 |||||||
| Jaida Civil G | Vero Beach, FL | Palm Bay Magnet High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | N/A |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 95 |||||||
| Lauren Hurst W | Cleveland, TN | Cleveland High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | N/A |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 |||||||
| Mya Pauldo PG | Denville, NJ | Morris Catholic High School | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | N/A |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2025 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 31, 2024* 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | Carson–Newman | W 135–49 | | 29 – Whitehorn | 7 – Boyd | 8 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,613) Knoxville, TN |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 5, 2024* 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | Samford | W 101–53 | 1–0 | 25 – Spearman | 6 – Tied | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,515) Knoxville, TN |
| November 7, 2024* 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | UT Martin | W 90–50 | 2–0 | 18 – Whitehorn | 14 – Whitehorn | 5 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,788) Knoxville, TN |
| November 12, 2024* 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | Middle Tennessee | W 89–75 | 3–0 | 18 – Cooper | 10 – Cooper | 5 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,697) Knoxville, TN |
| November 16, 2024* 12:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | Liberty | W 109–93 | 4–0 | 33 – Cooper | 9 – Cooper | 6 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,109) Knoxville, TN |
| November 26, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN | | Western Carolina | W 102–50 | 5–0 | 20 – Cooper | 7 – Whitehorn | 5 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,086) Knoxville, TN |
| December 4, 2024* 7:15 p.m., SECN | | Florida State ACC–SEC Challenge | W 79–77 | 6–0 | 22 – Cooper | 7 – Cooper | 4 – Spencer | Thompson-Boling Arena (9,529) Knoxville, TN |
| December 7, 2024* 7:00 p.m., FOX | | vs. No. 17 Iowa Shark Beauty Women's Champions Classic | W 78–68 | 7–0 | 23 – Cooper | 6 – Tied | 3 – Cooper | Barclays Center (9,114) Brooklyn, NY |
| December 14, 2024* 2:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 19 | North Carolina Central | W 139–59 | 8–0 | 33 – Spencer | 6 – Cooper | 10 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,305) Knoxville, TN |
| December 18, 2024* 8:30 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 18 | at Memphis | W 90–75 | 9–0 | 18 – Tied | 12 – Spearman | 6 – Tied | FedExForum (3,019) Memphis, TN |
| December 20, 2024* 2:15 p.m., BallerTV | No. 18 | vs. Richmond West Palm Beach Classic | W 92–67 | 10–0 | 24 – Cooper | 9 – Spearman | 6 – Spencer | Massimino Court (373) West Palm Beach, FL |
| December 21, 2024* 11:00 a.m., BallerTV | No. 18 | vs. Tulsa West Palm Beach Classic | W 102–61 | 11–0 | 17 – Puckett | 9 – Spearman | 6 – Spencer | Massimino Court (274) West Palm Beach, FL |
| December 29, 2024* 2:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 15 | Winthrop | W 114–50 | 12–0 | 17 – Puckett | 8 – Puckett | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,152) Knoxville, TN |
| January 2, 2025 8:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 15 | at Texas A&M | W 91–78 | 13–0 (1–0) | 20 – Spear | 6 – Spearman | 8 – Spencer | Reed Arena (3,070) College Station, TX |
| January 5, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 15 | No. 9 Oklahoma | L 86–87 | 13–1 (1–1) | 28 – Spear | 7 – Cooper | 5 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,321) Knoxville, TN |
| January 9, 2025 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 16 | No. 6 LSU | L 87–89 | 13–2 (1–2) | 25 – Spear | 6 – Tied | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (10,220) Knoxville, TN |
| January 12, 2025 1:00 p.m., SECN | No. 16 | at Arkansas | W 93–63 | 14–2 (2–2) | 20 – Cooper | 9 – Puckett | 8 – Spencer | Bud Walton Arena (3,072) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 16, 2025 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 15 | Mississippi State | W 86–73 | 15–2 (3–2) | 20 – Whitehorn | 10 – Cooper | 7 – Cooper | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,018) Knoxville, TN |
| January 19, 2025 3:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 15 | at Vanderbilt Rivalry | L 70–71 | 15–3 (3–3) | 22 – Cooper | 11 – Spearman | 6 – Spencer | Memorial Gymnasium (8,299) Nashville, TN |
| January 23, 2025 8:00 p.m., SECN | No. 17 | at No. 7 Texas | L 76–80 | 15–4 (3–4) | 21 – Whitehorn | 7 – Cooper | 6 – Spencer | Moody Center (7,530) Austin, TX |
| January 27, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 18 | No. 2 South Carolina | L 63–70 | 15–5 (3–5) | 12 – Whitehorn | 9 – Spearman | 6 – Spencer | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,033) Knoxville, TN |
| February 2, 2025 3:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 18 | at Missouri | W 76–71 | 16–5 (4–5) | 27 – Cooper | 7 – Tied | 4 – Cooper | Mizzou Arena (4,613) Columbia, MO |
| February 6, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 19 | No. 5 UConn Rivalry | W 80–76 | 17–5 | 16 – Spearman | 8 – Cooper | 4 – Cooper | Thompson–Boling Arena (16,215) Knoxville, TN |
| February 9, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 19 | at No. 6 LSU | L 77–82 | 17–6 (4–6) | 21 – Whitehorn | 7 – Cooper | 5 – Spencer | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (11,154) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 13, 2025 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 15 | Auburn | W 99–61 | 18–6 (5–6) | 17 – Spear | 6 – Spearman | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (9,817) Knoxville, TN |
| February 16, 2025 12:00 p.m., SECN | No. 15 | Ole Miss | W 80–71 | 19–6 (6–6) | 28 – Spear | 10 – Spencer | 6 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,402) Knoxville, TN |
| February 20, 2025 6:30 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 15 | No. 18 Alabama | W 88–80 | 20–6 (7–6) | 20 – Spear | 9 – Spearman | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (10,684) Knoxville, TN |
| February 23, 2025 1:00 p.m., SECN | No. 15 | at Florida | W 86–78 | 21–6 (8–6) | 18 – Cooper | 11 – Spencer | 3 – Spear | O'Connell Center (2,287) Gainesville, FL |
| February 27, 2025 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 11 | at No. 15 Kentucky Rivalry | L 58–82 | 21–7 (8–7) | 25 – Cooper | 7 – Latham | 3 – Tied | Memorial Coliseum (5,951) Lexington, KY |
| March 2, 2025 12:00 p.m., SECN | No. 11 | Georgia | L 69–72 | 21–8 (8–8) | 20 – Spear | 5 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,111) Knoxville, TN |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 5, 2025 11:00 a.m., SECN | (9) No. 18 | vs. (16) Texas A&M First Round | W 77–37 | 22–8 | 19 – Cooper | 8 – Cooper | 3 – Cooper | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| March 6, 2025 11:00 a.m., SECN | (9) No. 18 | vs. (8) Vanderbilt Second Round | L 76–84 | 22–9 | 14 – Whitehorn | 10 – Spearman | 3 – Tied | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN | (5 B3) No. 20 | vs. (12 B3) South Florida First Round | | | | | | Value City Arena Columbus, OH |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. B3=Birmingham. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 20 | 20 | |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 18 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 17 | 19 | 20 | |