Talaysia Cooper made the first move in this year’s college basketball transfer portal to shake the relative world. After entering the transfer portal last Thursday, the Tennessee Lady Vols star announced she is transferring to play her last season of college basketball for head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and the Ole Miss Rebels.
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Cooper is ranked as the fourth best transfer in the portal this off season.
Cooper averaged 16 points per game this past season, a team-high from the Lady Vols. She also averaged 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.8 turnovers in 26.3 minutes per game. The 6-foot redshirt junior shot 42.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent on 6.1 3-point attempts per game.
“I would say I’m versatile,” said Cooper. “I can do multiple things. I can play defense…I can shoot the three. I can shoot the pull-up.”
What made Cooper want to come to Oxford and play under Coach Yo’?
“She understands her players. She wants what’s best for all of us. Just by talking to her the first day, she stated that I could be one of the best guards in the country and she wanted to help me get to where I want to be. That really stood out to me, because I needed a coach like that in my life,” Cooper told OleMiss365.com.
There seemed to be some sort of revolt happening at Tennessee at season’s end when the Lady Vols lost their final eight games. It was a messy season under second-year head coach Kim Caldwell, to say the least. All eight Tennessee possible returners have entered the transfer portal.
Cooper has one season of eligibility remaining.
Cooper originally signed with South Carolina before transferring to Tennessee. She sat out during the 2023-24 season, which was Kellie Harper’s final season as head coach, because she left outside the transfer window.
Cooper will arrive at Ole Miss in June after completing this semester at Tennessee.