University of Tennessee Athletics
November 11, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Tennessee Head Coach Kim Caldwell has confirmed that a pair of highly-regarded high school standouts from the class of 2027 have signed Institutional Financial Aid Agreements to attend the University of Tennessee and represent the Lady Vol basketball program. UT is one of just eight programs at this time to have a recruiting class featuring two players ranked among the top 35 in the SportsCenter NEXT 100.
Making it official by submitting their paperwork on Wednesday were 5-foot-8 point guard Amaya Manuel (uh-MY-uh man-u-WELL) of St. Louis, Mo., and 6-foot-1 wing Maci Pringle (MAY-see PRING-gull) of Flower Mound, Texas. Manuel, the No. 1-rated player in Missouri, is ranked No. 27 nationally in the class of 2027 in the SportsCenter NEXT 100 and No. 35 by On3. Pringle, the No. 3-ranked player in Texas, is rated No. 33 nationally in the SportsCenter NEXT 100 and No. 21 by On3.
"Signing Maci and Amaya together in the 2027 class is big for us," Tennessee Head Coach Kim Caldwell said. "We worked extremely hard to identify the right fit as players and people for our program, and I believe we nailed it with these two future Lady Vols.
"We take pride in developing our players here, and both Maci and Amaya want to work and get better. They both understand how hard it will be and what it means to be a Lady Vol, and that is extremely important to us. They both fit in so well with our team already, and I'm excited to coach them."
Manuel plays at Lift For Life Academy and is returning to action after missing last season due to injury. She is a three-time state champion and two-time Missouri state player of the year who averaged 16.8 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 3.4 spg. and 3.2 apg. as a sophomore. She shot 56.1 percent from the field, including 46.9 percent on three-pointers during that 2024-25 campaign, also earning St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Top 5 and St. Louis American Fab 5 All-Star acclaim as well as PrepHoops state championship game MVP honors.
Pringle, meanwhile, represents Flower Mound High School and is coming off a season in which she helped that school to its first-ever state championship game appearance. The two-time all-state honoree averaged 21.0 ppg., 10.1 rpg., 3.5 spg. and 3.2 apg. as a junior, setting an FMHS season record with 796 points in 2025-26. In addition to earning all-state acclaim from three organizations a year ago, she was named Dallas Morning News All-Area Player of the Year (2026) and a member of the UIL 6A Division I All-State Tournament Team.
(Pronunciation: uh-MY-uh man-u-WELL)
Career Highlights
"Amaya is tough, and we need that in our point guard. I love how aggressive she is getting to the rim and how willing of a passer she is when defenses collapse on her. She will push pace for us and is a strong finisher at the basket. Our fans are going to love her toughness, with how she will dive on the floor for loose balls and pick up full court in our press. I'm so happy that she chose to be great at Tennessee."
Amaya Manuel's Comments About Signing With Tennessee
"My setbacks didn't define me. They prepared me for everything God has in store for me. I chose Tennessee because of the rich tradition of women's basketball and the opportunity to be part of something special, and I love my new teammates and the love of the staff! Feels like home. I love Coach Kim's energy, passion and the way she pushes her players to be their best. I like that she is straight-forward and honest, because she will make you uncomfortable, and that is when you grow. I'm most excited about competing at the highest level and playing in the best conference in the nation. I am also excited about developing as a player and helping bring championships back to Tennessee. I am ready to represent and to be part of something bigger than myself. Let's go, Lady Vols!"
(Pronunciation: MAY-see PRING-gull)
Career Highlights
"Maci stood out immediately because of how hard she plays every single possession. She is an extremely high energy and effort player, and those are two things that we value in our program. Her athleticism and offensive rebounding ability are unmatched in the 2027 class. She will be a weapon in our press. Maci fits us in every way, but what I am most excited about is she fits right in with our team. Our fans are going to love her outgoing and energetic personality as much as they will love what she does on the floor. I'm so happy that she is going to be a Lady Vol."
Maci Pringle's Comments About Signing With Tennessee
"I chose Tennessee because of the remarkable atmosphere. It starts with the players, and the coaching staff matches that energy every step of the way. From the moment I visited, it felt like a place where I could grow on and off the court. Coach Kim was a huge part of my decision. There's something exciting about her: she has a locked-in mindset, but she's also fun to be around. We had a lot of free-flowing, real-life conversations, and those made me want to join her mission. Being a Lady Vol means being part of one of the greatest legacies in women's basketball. Coach Pat Summitt and the players who came before built a standard of toughness and excellence, and won eight national championships, and I'm proud to carry that forward. I'm excited to finally step onto campus and continue writing my story at the University of Tennessee! Go Lady Vols!!
Making it official by submitting their paperwork on Wednesday were 5-foot-8 point guard Amaya Manuel (uh-MY-uh man-u-WELL) of St. Louis, Mo., and 6-foot-1 wing Maci Pringle (MAY-see PRING-gull) of Flower Mound, Texas. Manuel, the No. 1-rated player in Missouri, is ranked No. 27 nationally in the class of 2027 in the SportsCenter NEXT 100 and No. 35 by On3. Pringle, the No. 3-ranked player in Texas, is rated No. 33 nationally in the SportsCenter NEXT 100 and No. 21 by On3.
"Signing Maci and Amaya together in the 2027 class is big for us," Tennessee Head Coach Kim Caldwell said. "We worked extremely hard to identify the right fit as players and people for our program, and I believe we nailed it with these two future Lady Vols.
"We take pride in developing our players here, and both Maci and Amaya want to work and get better. They both understand how hard it will be and what it means to be a Lady Vol, and that is extremely important to us. They both fit in so well with our team already, and I'm excited to coach them."
Manuel plays at Lift For Life Academy and is returning to action after missing last season due to injury. She is a three-time state champion and two-time Missouri state player of the year who averaged 16.8 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 3.4 spg. and 3.2 apg. as a sophomore. She shot 56.1 percent from the field, including 46.9 percent on three-pointers during that 2024-25 campaign, also earning St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Top 5 and St. Louis American Fab 5 All-Star acclaim as well as PrepHoops state championship game MVP honors.
Pringle, meanwhile, represents Flower Mound High School and is coming off a season in which she helped that school to its first-ever state championship game appearance. The two-time all-state honoree averaged 21.0 ppg., 10.1 rpg., 3.5 spg. and 3.2 apg. as a junior, setting an FMHS season record with 796 points in 2025-26. In addition to earning all-state acclaim from three organizations a year ago, she was named Dallas Morning News All-Area Player of the Year (2026) and a member of the UIL 6A Division I All-State Tournament Team.
AMAYA MANUEL
5-8 | Point Guard | St. Louis, Mo. | Lift For Life Academy(Pronunciation: uh-MY-uh man-u-WELL)
Career Highlights
- No. 27 overall player, No. 4 point guard and four-star rating in the SportsCenter NEXT 100.
- No. 35 overall player, No. 5 point guard and four-star rating by On3.
- No. 1 ranked player in the state of Missouri.
- Three-time state champion.
- Two-time state player of the year (2024 & 2025).
- Two-time all-state honoree (2024 & 2025).
- Two-time district player of the year (2024 & 2025).
- PrepHoops state championship game MVP (2025).
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Top 5 (2025).
- St. Louis American Fab 5 All-Star (2024 & 2025)
- Sat out junior year due to injury.
- Averaged 16.8 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 3.4 spg. and 3.2 apg. and shot 56.1 percent from the field and 46.9 percent on three-pointers as a sophomore.
- Put up 17.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.1 apg. and 2.5 spg. and shot 50.3 percent from the field and 40 percent on threes as a freshman.
- Nike Nationals EYBL runner-up finisher and was top rebounder among guards.
- Played summer ball with Overtime Select in 2026 and had Overtime Elite runner-up finish.
- Joins Taber Spani of Lee's Summit (2009-13) as the only Lady Vols to hail from Missouri.
"Amaya is tough, and we need that in our point guard. I love how aggressive she is getting to the rim and how willing of a passer she is when defenses collapse on her. She will push pace for us and is a strong finisher at the basket. Our fans are going to love her toughness, with how she will dive on the floor for loose balls and pick up full court in our press. I'm so happy that she chose to be great at Tennessee."
Amaya Manuel's Comments About Signing With Tennessee
"My setbacks didn't define me. They prepared me for everything God has in store for me. I chose Tennessee because of the rich tradition of women's basketball and the opportunity to be part of something special, and I love my new teammates and the love of the staff! Feels like home. I love Coach Kim's energy, passion and the way she pushes her players to be their best. I like that she is straight-forward and honest, because she will make you uncomfortable, and that is when you grow. I'm most excited about competing at the highest level and playing in the best conference in the nation. I am also excited about developing as a player and helping bring championships back to Tennessee. I am ready to represent and to be part of something bigger than myself. Let's go, Lady Vols!"
MACI PRINGLE
6-1 | Wing | Flower Mound, Texas | Flower Mound H.S.(Pronunciation: MAY-see PRING-gull)
Career Highlights
- No. 21 overall player, No. 7 wing and four-star rating by On3.
- No. 33 overall player, No. 7 wing and four-star rating in the SportsCenter NEXT 100.
- No. 3 ranked player from the state of Texas.
- Selected to TGCA, THSCA and TABC 6A All-State Teams (2026).
- Earned Dallas Morning News All-Area Player of the Year (2026).
- Named UIL 6A Division I All-State Tournament Team (2026).
- Chosen as 5-6A District MVP (2025 & 2026).
- Member of TGCA All-State Team (2025).
- Averaged 21.0 ppg., 10.1 rpg., 3.5 spg. and 3.2 apg. as a junior.
- Set school season record with 796 points as a junior in 2025-26.
- Broke the season scoring mark set by Lauren Cox, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft.
- Helped the Lady Jags finish second in UIL 6A Division I as a junior in the school's first-ever title game appearance.
- Also competes in track & field at FMHS.
- Played summer ball with Overtime Select in 2026.
- First Texas high school recruit since Zaay Green in 2020.
- UT also signed Texas products Jewel Spear (The Colony) and Nya Robertson (Fort Worth) out of the portal in 2023 and 2025.
"Maci stood out immediately because of how hard she plays every single possession. She is an extremely high energy and effort player, and those are two things that we value in our program. Her athleticism and offensive rebounding ability are unmatched in the 2027 class. She will be a weapon in our press. Maci fits us in every way, but what I am most excited about is she fits right in with our team. Our fans are going to love her outgoing and energetic personality as much as they will love what she does on the floor. I'm so happy that she is going to be a Lady Vol."
Maci Pringle's Comments About Signing With Tennessee
"I chose Tennessee because of the remarkable atmosphere. It starts with the players, and the coaching staff matches that energy every step of the way. From the moment I visited, it felt like a place where I could grow on and off the court. Coach Kim was a huge part of my decision. There's something exciting about her: she has a locked-in mindset, but she's also fun to be around. We had a lot of free-flowing, real-life conversations, and those made me want to join her mission. Being a Lady Vol means being part of one of the greatest legacies in women's basketball. Coach Pat Summitt and the players who came before built a standard of toughness and excellence, and won eight national championships, and I'm proud to carry that forward. I'm excited to finally step onto campus and continue writing my story at the University of Tennessee! Go Lady Vols!!
Players Mentioned
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