‘The first ones to the fire' – There are 2 new Lady Vols players that are already instant fan favorites on Rocky Top

Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols put the finishing touches on their roster this week. Tennessee was forced to replace every single player on Caldwell’s roster following a mass departure of players.

Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols officially put the finishing touches on their roster on Tuesday.

After starting the offseason with zero players on the team, Caldwell now has a full roster.

Two of the Lady Vols’ additions are instant fan favorites

All of the Lady Vols’ additions are important and will play in Caldwell’s fast-paced system.

Two of the additions, however, stand out a bit more than the others.

When the offseason started, the Lady Vols weren’t exactly an attractive destination due to the way the 2025-26 season ended (with an eight-game losing streak and some off-the-court drama).

On Tuesday, during a Big Orange Caravan Stop in Chattanooga, Caldwell spotlighted two players who were the “first ones to the fire” — four-star signee Gabby Minus and Liberty transfer Avery Mills.

“Gabby was amazing,” said Caldwell. “Every time we talked, [she was saying], ‘I’m all in, I’m all in, I’m all in. This is where I want to be.’ And so she was great on that end. And for it to be a young kid coming out of high school to be unwavering — and when I say she was unwavering, she did not waver one bit — it’s remarkable. And again, her and Avery Mills were the first ones to the fire, so to speak.”

Minus and Mills helped ensure that Caldwell and the Lady Vols carried some momentum into the rest of the transfer cycle. And that momentum obviously helped as Tennessee made 12 key transfer additions.

Mills spoke on her decision to join Tennessee earlier this month and made it clear that honoring the legacy of the Lady Vols is important to her.