The Tennessee women's basketball team has released senior guard Ruby Whitehorn, head coach Kim Caldwell announced Sunday. The decision comes days after Whitehorn was charged with simple possession of marijuana following a traffic stop in Knoxville.
“I have a responsibility to protect the high standards of this historic program,” Caldwell said. “In light of recent events, Ruby has failed to meet these standards and I have made the difficult decision to remove her from our team. “I love Ruby and will always root for her, but my priority is maintaining the respected reputation of the Lady Vols.”
Whitehorn was arrested around 4:30 a.m. Thursday when police seized 5.59 grams of marijuana, which is illegal in Tennessee. The incident occurred just hours after the Lady Vols earned a 148-48 win in an exhibition game against Columbus State. Whitehorn had one of Tennessee's best performances with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 7 rebounds.
This was her second arrest since August, when she was charged with aggravated burglary and domestic violence. She then served her suspension from command activities.
Whitehorn joined the Lady Vols ahead of their 2024-25 campaign after playing her first two years of college basketball with Clemson. She quickly earned a spot in the starting lineup and averaged 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Whitehorn was expected to be one of the key players returning for Tennessee this season and was was recently named to Ann Meyers Drysdale's Top 20 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year list.
Her absence robs the team of important depth, but Caldwell said the decision will be best for the program in the long run.
“We have standards in this program and it's a sad situation. It's a difficult situation.” said the coach. “I feel sorry for the current team we have and time will tell if this is the right choice for this team. But I have no doubt that this is the right choice for the team in four or five years.”
On Sunday, following the news of her firing, Whitehorn shared a message on social media and said she was going to take time to work on her mental health.
“As most of you know, this hasn’t been my best year,” she said. “I'm usually not one to be open about my personal life or problems, and that's one of the reasons why I'm in this position today. The last couple of months I have been operating in fear rather than faith. Fear of asking for help, advice, fear of failure.
“I appreciate the support from my coaches and teammates on and off the court. I have failed to uphold the standards of Lady Vol's legacy and what it represents, and for that I apologize. To the Lady Vol community and fans, your support and encouragement will always be appreciated.”
The Lady Vols enter the season ranked No. 8 in the AP Top 25. Their season opener is Tuesday night against No. 9 North Carolina State in the Ro Greensboro Invitational. The game begins at 4:00 pm ET on ESPN2.
