Tennessee redshirt senior guard Kaiya Wynn has stepped away from the Lady Volunteers basketball program, a source confirmed Tuesday.
Later Tuesday, Wynn confirmed the news herself in a statement posted on social media.
The news came just days after Tennessee’s Senior Day against Vanderbilt and shortly before the Lady Vols depart this week to begin postseason play at the SEC Tournament.
The 6-foot Nashville native spent five seasons in the program. Wynn appeared in all 33 games during the 2023-24 season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. She missed the 2024-25 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon and returned in 2025-26 as a redshirt senior, serving in a reserve role.
In her statement, Wynn said the decision to step away was not made lightly and reflected on both her five-year tenure and her final home game at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
“The news has now broken that I have decided to step away from the Lady Vol program. This decision was not made lightly or instantly,” she wrote. “For the past five years I have given my all for Tennessee and have not regretted doing so once.”
Wynn described Senior Day as a pivotal moment. She said she had hoped to start her final home appearance but instead checked into the game with 15 seconds remaining in a loss.
“As someone who has never started a career game, I was hoping to start in my last appearance in Thompson-Boling,” Wynn wrote. “That obviously did not happen, and to be asked to check into the game with 15 seconds left while losing was not how I wanted to spend my final moments in my arena after five years. Although that was not the sole reason, it was the breaking point for me.”
Wynn thanked her teammates and supporters, writing that she has “the utmost love and respect” for the program and expressing gratitude to “Lady Vol Nation” for the past five years.
Tennessee has not yet issued a public statement regarding her decision.
Former Tennessee basketball power forward and current SEC Network analyst Ron Slay reacted to the news on social media.
The VFL highlighted that Wynn “DESERVED a better ending.”
