Caldwell Adds Great Britain Hooper Irene Oboavwoduo

Irene Oboavwoduo (eye-REEN oh-BAH-wuh-doh), who has been described as one of England's top young basketball prospects, became Tennessee's second freshman signee and seventh overall newcomer for 2026-27 by signing an Institutional Financial Aid Agreement (IFAA), Lady Vol head coach Kim Caldwell confirmed on Wednesday.

A 5-foot-10 guard from Manchester, England, Oboavwoduo originally chose Boston College over TCU, Oklahoma, Clemson, Wake Forest and UCF, but she reopened her recruiting when B.C. made a coaching change in March. After visiting Knoxville in mid-April, she notified the UT staff of her commitment shortly afterward on April 16.

Oboavwoduo gives Tennessee a second incoming freshman, joining 6-1 guard/forward Gabby Minus (Dacula, Ga./Hebron Christian Academy), the No. 64-ranked player in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 class. She follows previously-announced transfer portal signees in 5-9 guards Avery Mills (Liberty), Naomi White (Northern Arizona) and Rylie Theuerkauf (Georgia), 6-3 forward Harper Peterson (Stanford) and 6-2 forward Zhen Craft (Georgia) in Tennessee's 2026 transfer portal class.

Enjoying a highly-decorated youth career, Oboavwoduo earned multiple MVP honors and captained teams at nearly every level. Most recently, she played for Manchester Basketball in the Super League and earned a call-up to the Great Britain Senior Women's National Team for the EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers in November and March. In limited action, she appeared in five games and averaged 7.3 minutes, 1.0 points and 1.0 assists per contest while playing alongside LVFL Cheridene Green.

Oboavwoduo represented Great Britain in the U18 EuroBasket 2025, averaging 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals over seven games. She averaged 22.7 minutes and shot 50 percent from the field, 25 percent on three-pointers and 76 percent at the charity stripe for that squad.

In 2024, Oboavwoduo captained the GB U16 National Team to a bronze medal at the 2024 U16 EuroBasket in Turkey, averaging 20.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 steals and 2.0 assists. Her 31 points vs. Estonia led all players in single-game scoring, and her scoring average ranked fourth among all competitors at the tournament. She also represented GB at the U16 European Championships in 2022 and 2023 as well.

Oboavwoduo played for the Manchester Mystics from 2019–24, winning multiple National League and Cup championships across U14, U16 and U18 levels. Additionally, she captained England's U16 team to the 2024 Four Nations title in Dublin, earning MVP honors, and led England U15 to a championship at the 2023 Globasket Tournament in Spain.

She is the only player to be named MVP and captain in back-to-back national school championships across multiple age groups. Oboavwoduo was honored as the 2024-25 Women's Elite Academy Basketball League (WEABL) North Player of the Year and Haris Charalambous Elite Player of the Year. She also earned all-star honors at Basketball Without Borders in 2025 and Queen of the Court in 2024.

A three-time Sport Personality of the Year recipient and multi-sport standout, she also earned player of the year recognition in basketball, handball, cross country and track & field. Academically, the student at Trinity Church of England High School, is distinguished with multiple subject awards and a Gold Award for attendance, punctuality and target achievement.

2026-27 Lady Vol Roster Additions (Signees)

Incoming Transfers
Zhen Craft (6-2, SO, F, Waldorf, Md./Bishop McNamara H.S./Georgia)
Avery Mills (5-9, JR, G, Lynchburg, Va./Lynchburg H.S./Liberty)
Harper Peterson (6-3, R-SO, F, Rocklin, Calif./Whitney H.S./Stanford)
Rylie Theuerkauf (5-9, SR, G, Tenafly, N.J./Tenafly H.S./Wake Forest/Georgia)
Naomi White (5-9, R-SO, G, Omaha, Neb./Bellevue West H.S./Northern Arizona)

Incoming Freshmen
Gabby Minus (6-1, FR, G/F, Dacula, Ga./Hebron Christian Academy)
Irene Oboavwoduo (5-10, FR, G, Manchester, England/Trinity Church of England H.S.)

University of Tennessee Athletics

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