If college basketball had a Game of Thrones-style map, then this offseason would look like pure chaos—banners burning, rosters collapsing, and queens of the court scrambling to defend their empires. At the center of the latest seismic shift? A tale of two Kims.

While Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell watched three players exit her program this spring, she’s still sipping her sweet tea with a grin—because her namesake down in Baton Rouge, Kim Mulkey, just took a much heavier hit. Mulkey, already reeling from losing five players to the portal—Sa’Myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Aalyah Del Rosario, Mjracle Sheppard, and the WNBA-bound Aneesah Morrow—now watches a sixth slip through her fingers.

And this one stings deep. Jersey Wolfenbarger, a McDonald’s All-American with untapped upside, didn’t just leave LSU. She landed squarely in Caldwell’s lap at Tennessee.

According to a post on X by the Ball Out “#Breaking: #LSU transfer Jersey Wolfenbarger has Committed to Tennessee ” 

Wolfenbarger’s transfer to Tennessee isn’t just another portal shuffle—it’s a high-ceiling recalibration. A former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, she posted career highs of 18 points and 15 rebounds at Arkansas, but her role shrank at LSU to just 13.2 minutes per game, where she averaged 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. Despite the drop, her per-36-minute stats suggest untapped potential. Now in Kim Caldwell’s pressing, fast-paced system—one that requires constant rotations—Wolfenbarger’s length (6’5″) and mobility are finally aligned with a coach’s vision that fits.

She’s not arriving alone. Tennessee also landed 6’4” forward Janiah Barker, who averaged 12.9 points and 7.3 rebounds at Texas A&M before transferring to UCLA, and SMU’s Nya Robertson, who put up 13.6 points per game last season with 37% shooting from beyond the arc. With this trio, the Lady Vols now have a roster averaging nearly 6 feet in height and loaded with athleticism and versatility. 

However, her arrival has stirred up the women’s college hoops world, especially among fans who aren’t sold on the growing trend of mass transfers.

Fans React to Jersey Wolfenbarger’s Transfer to Lady Vols: “They Just Adding People”

One fan bluntly shared, “Feel the same about LSU and Ole Miss… like at some point the portal is just mid shuffling around to mid. Idk, I’ve been moved by no one.”

Even though LSU gained Notre Dame forward Kate Koval and East Carolina forward Amiya Joyner, people might paint it as a carousel of mediocrity. However, legendary LSU coach Kim Mulkey made one thing clear in an April 23 interview with WAFB9 Sports: this isn’t chaos—it’s strategy. “We’d better adapt or die,” Mulkey said, after losing five players to the portal. “For every player we lose, you hate it, but you bring somebody in… players that can help you continue to be relevant in women’s basketball.” And that’s exactly what teams are doing—racing to stay relevant in the new era of college basketball.

Another fan echoed the skepticism, posting, “Based on how they played last season with the mass subs, they are just adding people. That type of play will only get you so far if you don’t have at least 1 or 2 star players to go with the depth.”

But here’s the thing: Kim Caldwell’s Tennessee system isn’t your traditional game plan. The Lady Vols’ up-tempo, full-court press demands constant energy, and Caldwell responds with hockey-style subs—line changes that keep everyone fresh. Tennessee frequently swaps in five at a time. They don’t just add people—they rotate like clockwork. It’s a system that’s earned attention across the board, including from Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, who commented ahead of their Sweet 16 matchup: “I know it’s a big storyline for them and how they play and their philosophy… but for us… the hockey substitution deal’s not really a topic—other than when the horn sounds, you need to pay attention.”

Still, not everyone’s convinced. “They just adding people,” said one fan.

That criticism has become common—but there’s more beneath the surface. Tennessee’s average height last season was just 6 feet (1.82m), leaving them outmatched against elite post players like UCLA’s Lauren Betts. Wolfenbarger, a 6’5” wing, adds instant size and potential impact—especially in a system that thrives on fresh legs. And for her, it’s a clear upgrade in opportunity: she saw limited minutes under Mulkey, but at Tennessee, she’s almost guaranteed more time due to Caldwell’s constant substitutions.

Another fan joked, “They need 20 players to run those hockey changes they run lol.”

And honestly? They’re not wrong. That’s the price of relentless pace—depth isn’t optional, it’s essential.

One fan got candid, reflecting on LSU’s minutes allocation:“Ngl knowing what we know now, I would’ve loved to see what Wolf could do this past season instead of Smith. We played Smith thinking she needed that development. Her leaving was a slap in the face to me… just thought she was overplayed.”

The stats support the frustration. In 2024-25, Wolfenbarger played just 13.2 minutes per game, putting up 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds with a 63% FG clip—efficient despite the small sample size. Compare that to Smaya Smith, who averaged more minutes and touches but shot just 56.5% from the line while averaging the same 4.6 points, with only marginally better rebounding. Wolfenbarger made more of less—and now she’s headed to a system that promises more of everything.

Tennessee might be “just adding people,” but each addition serves a purpose. For Wolfenbarger, it’s a chance to escape the bench and become a key cog in Caldwell’s high-speed machine. For the Lady Vols, it’s another move in the ongoing chess match of staying relevant in a sport where adaptability is crucial.