Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards requests release from Tennessee
Five-star Lincoln forward Oliviyah Edwards has requested a release from her signing with the Tennessee Volunteers, The News Tribune confirmed Monday night.
Edwards, considered the No. 2 player in the nation’s 2026 class, instantly becomes the top available recruit in women’s college basketball. She originally signed with the Lady Vols last Nov. 14 over South Carolina, USC, LSU, Florida and Washington.
The news was first reported by On3’s Talia Goodman.
Edwards was named The News Tribune’s 2026 All-Area girls basketball Player of the Year in March after averaging 30 points, 22 rebounds, and five blocks per game for the Abes this winter. She dropped a game-high 38 points in the final game of her high school career, a regional loss to Lakeside (Seattle) on Feb. 28, willing Lincoln one game short of the 3A state tournament at the Tacoma Dome.
Tennessee officially released her on Tuesday, Edwards announced on Twitter/X.
“This decision was incredibly hard, but after deep conversations with my family, I know it’s what’s best for my future,” Edwards wrote in a statement. “A special thank you to Coach Kim Caldwell, Gabe Lazo, Roman Tubner and the entire staff. The relationships we built mean so much to me, and they will always hold a special place in my future.
“This has been a tough weekend as I’ve had to grieve the loss of what I once envisioned for my future.”
The 6-foot-3 forward reopened her commitment in the wake of a shrinking Lady Vols roster, which won’t return a single player from their 2025-26 team next season. ESPN’s Holly Rowe took to X Monday, criticizing Tennessee’s athletic director for “What Danny White is allowing to happen” to the once-elite basketball program. Rowe later deleted the tweet.
Edwards filed her request last Thursday. Two days earlier, Lazo — the Tennessee assistant who led the charge in bringing the five-star recruit to the Lady Vols — joined LSU’s staff as an assistant. He was then hired as Central Florida’s next head coach on Saturday.
Edwards tallied eight points in the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game (Glendale, Ariz.) on March 31 and threw down a crowd-wowing dunk in the Sprite JamFest the night before.
“I think she’s the best ambassador that we could have for women’s basketball — not just from Washington State, but for our nation,” Lincoln head coach Melanie Jones said in January. “Because as you see, that smile. Every time, even at her worst, she’s smiling. She’s so welcoming to people. She’ll stop and she’ll introduce herself to people and things like that.
“I don’t know. God knew what he was doing when he gave her the gift he gave her. I tell people all the time — she’s a great basketball player, but a better human being.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
