Tennessee freshman twins Mia and Mya Pauldo are entering the transfer portal to leave the Lady Vols basketball program after one season with head coach Kim Caldwell.
The twins announced their decision on Instagram on Wednesday.
“After much thought, conversation & soul-searching we have decided to enter the transfer portal,” they wrote. “We’d like to thank the coaching staff for the opportunity to be part of the Lady Vols family. Thank you to our teammates whom we’ve formed a sisterhood with. Thank you fans for your energy and support. Excited to accept the challenge of the next phase of our journey.”
Mia Pauldo was named to SEC all-freshman team as she averaged 10.4 points, 2.5 assists in 23.4 minutes per game. Pauldo started 17 games this season.
Mya Pauldo averaged 1.8 points in 10.1 minutes per game. She made one start this season.
Landing the Pauldo twins was a big recruiting coup for Caldwell. Mia was a McDonald’s All-American and a top-10 player.
Both players committed to Caldwell before her first team ever took the floor and became the class of five players that were ranked as the second-best recruiting class in the country. Lauren Hurst, Jaida Civil, and Deniya Prawl made up the rest of the class.
Hurst and Prawl already have expressed plans to enter the portal.
“From the time that these five young ladies came on their visits, it just felt right,” Caldwell said. “It felt like they were supposed to play here. They got along with our staff, and they got along with our players really well.”
The Lady Vols lost their final eight games of the season, which ended with a 76-61 loss to N.C. State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Following the loss, Caldwell put the blame on herself for getting away from her system as the year progressed.
Caldwell also noted her inability to get her team to play with the effort needed making it clear that was her focal point in roster retention and acquisition for her third team on Rocky Top.
“I have always been able to recruit players and stack talent and get them to run through a wall for me and get them to play hard and I wasn’t able to do that,” Caldwell said.