Senior starting guard Ruby Whitehorn has been dismissed from the Tennessee Lady Volunteers women’s basketball program. Coach Kim Caldwell said Sunday that it was her responsibility to protect the program’s high standards.
“In light of recent events, Ruby has been unable to reflect those standards, and I have made the difficult decision to dismiss her from our team,” Caldwell said in a statement. “I love Ruby and will always be rooting for her, but my priority is to uphold the respected reputation of the Lady Vols.”
According to the university police crime log, Whitehorn was arrested at 4:31 a.m. on Oct. 30 for possession of marijuana, just hours after she poured in 18 points in Tennessee’s 148-48 exhibition win over Columbus State.
It was her second arrest since August. In the summer, she was charged with aggravated burglary and domestic assault stemming from a dispute outside a woman’s residence, according to ESPN. Police said Whitehorn kicked in a bedroom door and a front door. She reportedly told officers she was attempting to retrieve her property, alleging the woman took her passport and phone before locking the door.
Whitehorn was suspended after her first arrest and then reinstated in September when she pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in exchange for judicial diversion.
Whitehorn played her first two college seasons at Clemson, starting in 62 of 66 games and averaging as high as 12.3 points per game her sophomore season. In her first season in Knoxville last year, she averaged 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while starting in 28 of 34 games as the Volunteers made the Sweet 16.
When she originally committed to Tennessee ahead of last season, she earned high praise from Caldwell.
“I’m really excited about what Ruby will bring to the program,” Caldwell said in May 2024. “She is one of the best downhill scorers I’ve had the opportunity to see, and her athleticism will help us greatly on the defensive end. She is a natural fit for our program, and I can’t wait for her to get on campus and see what she can do in our system.”
After the latest incident, Whitehorn apologized in a statement on Instagram, saying she “failed to uphold the standards of the Lady Vol legacy and what it represents and for that I apologize.”
No. 8 Tennessee opens its season Tuesday against No. 9 NC State in Greensboro, North Carolina.
