Candace Parker's 'Disappointing' Tennessee Take Speaks Volumes
The Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball team isn't too far removed from being a perennial national championship contender and perhaps the most prestigious women's college sports program in the world. But those days feel very far away right now.
Tennessee finished the 2025-26 regular season with six straight losses and dropping 9 of its last 11 contests. Then they lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament and the first round of the NCAA Tournament, making for eight straight losses to finish the year.
Then came the transfer exodus. Eight former Tennessee players transferred since their season ended, plus No. 2-ranked prospect Oliviyah Edwards announced her intention to decommit from the program over the weekend. Before head coach Kim Caldwell landed a transfer in former Liberty player Avery Mills on April 8, the team had zero players on its roster.
Candace Parker Stresses Tennessee Sense of Urgency
Nobody has advocated for Tennessee more than the legendary Candace Parker, who played under Pat Summitt there from 2004 to 2008 and was a two-time NCAA champion. Therefore, it's always fascinating to hear Parker speak about the Lady Vols, which she did during an April 8 episode of her "Post Moves" podcast.
After Aliyah Boston commented about the absence of players on Tennessee's roster and Edwards' decommitment from the program, Parker said, "It's difficult, I'm not gonna lie. Because you pour so much of your energy, and your heart, and now I'm a fan, so I'm really a fanatic. And I want to see my team—like, I want to be around the fans at the Final Four, like you were able to be at South Carolina. I'm anxious to want to have that feeling again.
"It has been a long time since we've been back to the Final Four. I was in the jersey, and I know I'm about to turn 40, so I know it has been a really long time. So it's just disappointing," Parker continued. "Obviously, you can't control the portal all the time. However, we've got to get better. We've got to start making strides, so this program doesn't fall by the wayside, for sure."
Parker then mentioned a (now deleted) X post from Holly Rowe that read, “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 women’s sports history disintegrate. I am devastated.”
"I am a big believer in supporting through the ups and downs. I'm gonna support through the ups and downs, but we've got to start making some changes, man. We've got to start getting better, and being back in it," Parker continued.
Hearing such a resigned tone from one of the program's most passionate ambassadors as she realizes Tennessee's standing has shifted is significant.
The pressure is clearly on Caldwell to right the ship next season.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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