Tennessee’s women’s basketball team exceeded expectations last season, going 24-10 under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell. The Lady Vols leaned into Caldwell’s fast-paced and pressing style of play, starting the year on a 13-game winning streak. Tennessee beat rival UConn — showing some real proof-of-concept — and then advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
But now, the future of one of the key contributors to that team is in limbo.
Senior guard Ruby Whitehorn — one of three returning starters — has been suspended from the team indefinitely, according to multiple reports. The Knoxville News Sentinel was the first to report on Whitehorn’s status following her arrest on Aug. 8. Whitehorn faces felony charges of domestic assault and aggravated burglary, and has a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 5 in Knox County.
“Our firm’s investigation has also revealed that the factual allegations contained in the warrants are not accurate and are contradicted by eyewitness accounts,” Isaacs said in a statement published by the AP. “Ruby Whitehorn looks forward to having this matter resolved in the very near future.”
According to details from a police report, Whitehorn, 21, was involved in a physical altercation with a woman outside of her residence. Per the police report, the alleged victim claims that Whitehorn then kicked her door in, chased her upstairs and smashed a glass mirror. No injuries were noted by police. According to the report, Whitehorn told police she entered the house to retrieve her phone and passport after the unnamed woman took them.
A 6-foot guard from Detroit, Michigan, Whitehorn is entering her senior year of college basketball. She began her career at Clemson where she was voted to the 2023 All-ACC Freshman Team and started in 62 of the 66 games she played in.
Last season for Tennessee, Whitehorn posted career-bests in 3-point and free throw shooting percentages, and a career-low in turnovers per game. She averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. Whitehorn was fourth on the team in minutes played and scoring, and third in rebounds.
Whitehorn was tabbed as a top 15 recruit in her 2022 class by ESPN. She was a McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American, in addition to being named Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year.
