KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Lady Vols basketball head coach Kim Caldwell constructed a roster full of experience from across the country. Out of the 13 transfers brought in, three have never played Power 4 basketball. It is always a question of how players’ skills will translate to the Southeastern Conference.
For Tennessee, one transfer not only came from outside of the power realm of basketball. She also has one true season of collegiate playing experience. Junior guard Naomi White came over from Northern Arizona University. There, she was selected to the All-Big Sky First Team and named Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2026. This came after a redshirt season at Grand Canyon University.
White made the absolute most of her lone season at NAU. She averaged 20.8 points per game in 32 starts, which was good for 15th nationally and the best mark for any freshman. She set NAU single-season records for points (667) and three-pointers made (92). White also led the Big Sky in three-point field goals made, three-point field goals made per game (2.88) and three-point field goal percentage (36.5).
Now the question is how she will bring the same juice to the floor here in Knoxville. And wherever the Lady Vols lace up the shoes this coming season, Caldwell definitely believes she will be ready.
“I have no doubt that that girl will translate, there’s no question,” Caldwell said Sept. 25. “She works hard, she’s a winner, she wants it, she believes in herself. I’ve been at that level, I coached in that league, I’ve coached in a mid-major league, and there’s not that much difference. Height, size is a difference, where you played AAU is a difference.
“But she’s a scorer, she can put the ball in the hole. She’s gotten a lot better, and I think our fan base is going to love her. I think that we have the beauty of having her for a really long time here, so it’s not a question.”
White is confident and credits the coaching staff for that. She told us that Caldwell and the staff “instill life into me every day.” For a player coming into a whole new level of basketball where the talent is greater, the stakes are higher and the whole nation’s eyes are watching, there could be a little nervousness about the situation. But to this point, with the season yet to arrive, White’s biggest challenge has been learning Caldwell’s defense. What makes it tough goes back to the difference in play in the SEC, especially the speed.
“I would definitely say the speed,” White said. “Coming to the SEC, the speed is completely different than a previous school from a previous conference. So definitely the speed has been the biggest struggle for me.”
This is the toughest conference in the country, and there will be challenges. Maybe White adjusts quickly, but the preparation to this point has been hardcore. One thing I’ve enjoyed hearing from the players who have spoken is that the practices and conditioning have been purposeful in getting them into shape, and not just physically but mentally. That mental side gets overlooked in college sports. The athletes are still human, and will be tested when the lights come on and the natural runs of an SEC game hit. The preparation has been outstanding, but the players still have to execute.
White got a taste of that mental test this summer. The first time the Lady Vols ran a ladder, she admitted she didn’t make all of her times that first day. But she kept at it until she did.
“So I think I found a new gear, especially with everybody encouraging us to finish through and push through,” White said. “I think I definitely found a new gear then.”
That’s what you want to hear from a player making this kind of jump. Nobody expects someone with one full college season under her belt at the mid-major level to have it all figured out in September. What matters is whether she responds when it gets hard. And so far, she has.
The defensive end is still where the growth has to happen. Caldwell’s teams tend to live on pressure, and White was upfront that learning the press has been a struggle. She also said she’s been told she’s gotten a lot better. This tells me the staff sees progress even if it’s not finished yet.
Offensively, she’s in the right place. Caldwell’s system rewards shooters for shooting, and White said nobody has ever told her not to let it fly, even on days the shots aren’t falling. A player who hit 92 threes last season with that kind of freedom is a dangerous combination.
The bigger picture is how 13 transfers come together as one team. White was one of the first commits and watched the rest of the roster fill out from her phone. Now she describes the group as a real family, and she believes its identity is simple.
“I think our strength is our competitiveness and our will to win,” White said. “I think that we show that every day.”
We won’t know how any of this translates until the ball is tipped for real. But Caldwell has no doubt about White. After a summer of tough conditioning, a new defense and a green light to shoot, White doesn’t sound like she has much doubt either. Stay tuned.
