Lady Vols Star Talaysia Cooper Enters Transfer Portal
Image: Drew Garrison/Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
Star Lady Vols guard Talaysia Cooper announced Thursday morning that she will enter the transfer portal, ending her two year career in Knoxville and delivering another major roster blow to Tennessee this offseason.
Cooper, an All‑SEC First‑Team selection this season, averaged 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 2025, emerging as a top two-way player in the SEC. A former South Carolina transfer, she also earned All‑SEC Defensive Team honors, helping lead Tennessee to its 43rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Her departure now becomes the latest, and most significant, in a slew of exits for the Lady Vols. Cooper is the 12th player to depart from the program, understating the rebuild facing head coach Kim Caldwell as she attempts to reshape the roster in her third season at Tennessee.
Cooper’s scoring ability and versatility on defense made her the undisputed top guard on the Tennessee roster and one of the program’s most reliable players. Losing her production leaves a massive hole for Caldwell as she works to reconstruct nearly the entire roster from the ground up.
