Talaysia Cooper is Tennessee’s two-way spark plug
In the 2025-26 season, Talaysia Cooper has been Tennessee’s engine on both ends, averaging 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game while starting 25 of 29 games[8][12]. She’s a high-motor guard who brings scoring, playmaking and disruptive defense, and her steal numbers have put her among the nation’s defensive leaders[13]. The big selling point: she impacts games in multiple ways, so she’s the kind of player a contender can plug in and trust when the possession gets messy. The one caution flag is durability, after an ankle injury history that has interrupted stretches of her season[5][7].
