Lady Vols’ transfer forward Aaliyah Moore had questions.
So did her mom.
Tennessee was coming off an offseason filled with significant roster turnover when Moore entered the transfer portal looking for the final stop of her college career. She was also working her way back from injury and trying to determine what she wanted her basketball future to look like.
Before Moore ever visited Knoxville, her mom wanted answers from Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell.
“My mom was like, ‘I need to have a conversation with Coach Kim,’” Moore said. “Obviously, she wanted to know what happened last year and things like that.”
The conversation made an impression.
Moore said Caldwell was honest and transparent with her mom, who called her daughter back roughly an hour later with a simple message: Go take the visit.
“She hid nothing,” Moore said. “My mom asked her all types of questions, like a mom would, a mama bear.”
Moore arrived in Knoxville willing to give Tennessee a chance. She left convinced it was where she wanted to finish her career.
“I fell in love with it, honestly,” Moore said.
Caldwell’s honesty gave Moore confidence
Another conversation ultimately helped seal Moore’s decision.
This one came directly between Moore and Caldwell. They discussed Moore’s rehabilitation, where she was in her recovery and what she wanted to accomplish beyond her final college season.
Moore said Caldwell didn’t make promises. Instead, she laid out a plan.
“She was very honest with me,” Moore said. “I feel like a lot of coaches aren’t honest with you.”
When Moore explained her goals, Caldwell didn’t tell her they were unrealistic. Moore said Caldwell instead explained how Tennessee could help her pursue them and assured her she would have support throughout the process.
“You always want to play for a coach that believes in you,” Moore said. “I’m someone where, if the coach believes in me, I’ll run through a wall for you.”
That belief went both ways.
Moore acknowledged that both she and Caldwell enter this season with something to prove. That shared mentality helped create an early connection.
“I have a lot to prove, she has a lot to prove,” Moore said. “It’s just exciting to kind of have a coach that believes in you, and then I also believe in her.”
From uncertainty to confidence
The first few months in Knoxville have reinforced Moore’s decision.
She arrived still rehabbing her knee and adjusting to another new environment after spending multiple seasons at her previous school. Moore admitted there was uncertainty about what the transition would look like.
Now, she’s cleared, playing without pain and says she has regained confidence in her knee and on the court.
“This was the hardest summer of my life,” Moore said. “But it was worth it.”
The challenge extended beyond rehabilitation.
Caldwell put Tennessee through a demanding summer designed to prepare a largely rebuilt roster for what it hopes to accomplish this season.
Moore embraced it.
“Winning’s hard,” Moore said. “When you want to be as good as we want to be, it’s incredibly hard.”
She’s also discovering more freedom within Caldwell’s system.
Defensively, Moore said Tennessee’s physical, aggressive style feels familiar. The bigger adjustment has come offensively, where Caldwell expects all five players to be threats.
Moore said she has always believed she could shoot from the perimeter but rarely had an opportunity to showcase it previously.
At Tennessee, she’s being encouraged to let it fly.
“Coach gets mad at you if you don’t shoot the ball,” Moore said. “So I’ve been letting it fly, and it’s been great.”
The roster that initially represented another unknown has also started coming together.
Moore said players arrived from different programs with different expectations and experiences. What connected them quickly was a shared desire to win.
“I immediately clicked with all the girls because they also wanted to win,” Moore said.
For Moore, that’s another reason a decision that once carried plenty of uncertainty is beginning to feel like the right one.
“We know we have a lot to prove,” Moore said. “But at the end of the day, we know the work that we’ve been putting in.”
