Tennessee women’s basketball picked up a significant 2027 recruiting commitment Tuesday night, November 10, when four-star point guard Amaya Manuel announced she would join coach Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols. The 5-foot-8 prospect from St. Louis plays for Lift for Life Academy and is ranked No. 25 nationally in ESPN’s class of 2027. Rivals places her at No. 35 overall and among its top point guards. Manuel made her announcement after Tennessee’s game against New Haven, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Manuel chose Tennessee over a final group that included Missouri, Arkansas and Arizona State. Her recruitment also drew interest from programs around the country, reflecting the competition for an accomplished high-school guard. She visited Tennessee in October after receiving an offer in May. A proven scorer and playmaker at the high-school and travel-ball levels, Manuel gives the Lady Vols another backcourt piece to develop as Caldwell builds the program’s next recruiting class.
She becomes Tennessee’s second known commitment for 2027, joining fellow four-star prospect Maci Pringle, a forward from Texas. The addition is noteworthy both because of Manuel’s national ranking and because it arrives on the eve of the November 11-18 early signing period. A verbal commitment and a signed agreement are not the same thing, so Manuel’s decision should not yet be described as a completed signing. For Tennessee fans, however, the immediate news is clear: Caldwell has persuaded another nationally regarded prospect to choose Knoxville.