Kim Caldwell Addresses Dismissal of Tennessee Star With Clear Message
It didn't take long for Tennessee Lady Volunteers head women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell to endear herself to the college basketball community.
Caldwell's first year running the program was in 2024-25, and she spent much of the season coaching from the sidelines while pregnant. Caldwell then returned to the team shortly after giving birth to her son, and one of her first games upon returning was an 80-76 win over Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies team, who eventually went on to win the 2025 NCAA national championship.
This also marked the first time that Tennessee beat UConn since 2007, when the legendary Pat Summitt (who Caldwell has shown a ton of respect toward) was still coaching the Lady Volunteers.
Another reason for Caldwell's popularity was the clear passion and enthusiasm for her program and fan base, along with her willingness to speak her mind about whatever she's forced to address.
Kim Caldwell Speaks on Ruby Whitehorn's Dismissal From Team
Unfortunately, Caldwell had to address a tough situation on November 2. Star Lady Vols player Ruby Whitehorn (who averaged 11.6 points per game with the team last season, shooting 46.4% from the field) was charged with simple possession of marijuana following a traffic stop back on October 30, according to ESPN.
This marked the second time Whitehorn has been arrested since August, as she was charged with aggravated burglary and domestic assault following an altercation outside of a woman's residence less than three months ago.
Whitehorn was suspended from the team in the wake of that August arrest but was reinstated after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors. However, this most recent run-in with the law was the last straw for Caldwell, as it was announced on November 2 that Whitehorn has now been dismissed from the team.
Caldwell made a statement on this on November 2 that read, "It is my responsibility to protect the high standards of this historic program. In light of recent events, Rube has been unable to reflect these standards, and I have made the difficult decision to dismiss her from our team. I love Ruby and will always be rooting for her, but my priority is to uphold the respected reputation of the Lady Vols," per Fox Sports Knoxville.
BREAKING: Tennessee Lady Vol coach Kim Caldwell has dismissed senior guard Ruby Whitehorn from the team:
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) November 2, 2025
“It is my responsibility to protect the high standards of this historic program,” Caldwell said in a statement.
“In light of recent events, Ruby has been unable to reflect… pic.twitter.com/6pdBzvjDct
Caldwell also spoke with the media on November 2 and added another comment, saying, “We have standards in this program, and it’s a sad situation. It’s a difficult situation. I feel bad for this current team that we have, and time will tell if it’s the right choice for this team.
"But I have no doubt that it’s the right choice for the team four or five years from now," she added, per an X post from Paige Dauer.
"We have standards in this program, and it's a sad situation."#LadyVols Kim Caldwell on her decision to dismiss Ruby Whitehorn after recent events. pic.twitter.com/Yv5JjctdbW
— Paige Dauer (@PaigeDauerFDP) November 2, 2025
Caldwell's Lady Vols squad starts their 2025-26 NCAA regular season against NC State on November 4.
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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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