The University of Tennessee women’s basketball team is set to travel to Florida just prior to the school’s winter break, as it will compete in the 2024 West Palm Beach Classic on Dec. 20 and 21.
Opponents, game times and broadcast information will be released later for the event, which will be held on Massimino Court at Keiser University. The tournament is one of four showcases around the country organized by Coast 2 Coast Women’s Basketball.
Among the teams competing in last year’s tourney were Arkansas, Baylor, Illinois, San Diego State and South Florida among others. UT newcomer Samara Spencer, a transfer from Arkansas, averaged 15.0 ppg. a year ago at the West Palm Beach Classic for the Razorbacks to help lead her team to a pair of victories.
Spencer (13.9 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.5 apg.) is one of five incoming transfers, joining Rapuluchi “Favor” Ayodele (4.7 ppg., 6.2 rpg. at Pitt), Alyssa Latham (8.6 ppg., 7.0 rpg. at Syracuse), Lazaria Spearman (6.3 ppg., 6.0 rpg. at Miami) and Ruby Whitehorn (12.3 ppg., 5.6 rpg. at Clemson), on first-year head coach Kim Caldwell’s squad. Those performers are joined by two additional newcomers in 2023-24 redshirts Talaysia Cooper (No.18) and Kaniya Boyd (No. 35), who joined Whitehorn (No. 15) and Spearman (No. 30) as espnW top-35 ranked players coming out of high school. Spencer and Latham were slotted at No. 72 by BlueStar and espnW, respectively.
The Lady Vols welcome back eight players from the 2023-24 roster, including five who spent time in the starting lineup. Top statistical performers returning include last year’s second- and third-leading scorers in Jewel Spear (13.1 ppg.) and Sara Puckett (9.9 ppg.). Puckett also is Tennessee’s top returning rebounder (4.9 rpg.), while Spear (69), Tess Darby (44) and Puckett (38) led the team in three-pointers made and Spear posted the team’s number-two assist total (71).
