University of Tennessee Athletics
Caldwell Adds All-CUSA First-Teamer Avery Mills
April 09, 2026 | Women's Basketball
After becoming the first player in the portal to announce her commitment to Tennessee women's basketball on Wednesday, former Liberty standout Avery Mills made it official Thursday by submitting a signed Institutional Financial Aid Agreement (IFAA), Lady Vol head coach Kim Caldwell confirmed.
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Mills is a 5-foot-9 guard from Lynchburg, Va., who has two years of eligibility remaining. She made 124 of 283 three-pointers (.438) in 59 games over the past two seasons for the Lady Flames and was an All-Conference USA First Team selection in 2025-26 and a CUSA All-Freshman choice in 2024-25.
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As a sophomore in 2025-26, Mills led Liberty by averaging 15.3 points per game. She also produced 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest while starting 25 of 26 games for the Lady Flames. She shot 42.9 percent from the field, including 42.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line.
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Mills made a school-record 82 three-pointers during her second collegiate season. She ranked No. 2 nationally in three-pointers made per game (3.15), No. 15 in three-point field goal percentage (42.7) and No. 53 in total three-pointers made (82).
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Scoring in double figures 22 times as a sophomore, Mills racked up seven games of 20 points or more. She had 16 contests where she hit three or more three-pointers, including a 7-of-10 effort beyond the arc en route to a career-high 27 points vs. Jacksonville State.
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She also had four other games with five or more treys, including a 6-of-8 showing vs. UTEP, a 5-of-8 effort vs. New Mexico, a 5-of-11 game vs. Manhattan and a 5-of-7 performance vs. East Carolina, in which she finished with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double.
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As a freshman, Mills contributed 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while appearing in 33 contests. During her 15.3 minutes per outing for LU, she demonstrated prowess in her shooting accuracy. She finished with percentages of 51.9 from the field, 46.2 from beyond the arc and 91.3 from the charity stripe.
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She logged nine games in double figures, including a then-career-high 19-point effort at Food City Center vs. Tennessee on Nov. 16, 2024. She connected on seven of nine shots in that contest, including a 3-of-5 showing on three-pointers.
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Mills is a 2024 graduate of Liberty Christian Academy and helped her team claim its first-ever VHSL Class 3 state title as a senior after the Bulldogs won their first regional championship her junior year. She amassed 2,759 points and surpassed 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists while earning first-team all-state accolades all three seasons she played at LCA (sophomore through senior seasons).
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Mills is a 5-foot-9 guard from Lynchburg, Va., who has two years of eligibility remaining. She made 124 of 283 three-pointers (.438) in 59 games over the past two seasons for the Lady Flames and was an All-Conference USA First Team selection in 2025-26 and a CUSA All-Freshman choice in 2024-25.
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As a sophomore in 2025-26, Mills led Liberty by averaging 15.3 points per game. She also produced 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest while starting 25 of 26 games for the Lady Flames. She shot 42.9 percent from the field, including 42.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line.
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Mills made a school-record 82 three-pointers during her second collegiate season. She ranked No. 2 nationally in three-pointers made per game (3.15), No. 15 in three-point field goal percentage (42.7) and No. 53 in total three-pointers made (82).
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Scoring in double figures 22 times as a sophomore, Mills racked up seven games of 20 points or more. She had 16 contests where she hit three or more three-pointers, including a 7-of-10 effort beyond the arc en route to a career-high 27 points vs. Jacksonville State.
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She also had four other games with five or more treys, including a 6-of-8 showing vs. UTEP, a 5-of-8 effort vs. New Mexico, a 5-of-11 game vs. Manhattan and a 5-of-7 performance vs. East Carolina, in which she finished with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double.
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As a freshman, Mills contributed 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while appearing in 33 contests. During her 15.3 minutes per outing for LU, she demonstrated prowess in her shooting accuracy. She finished with percentages of 51.9 from the field, 46.2 from beyond the arc and 91.3 from the charity stripe.
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She logged nine games in double figures, including a then-career-high 19-point effort at Food City Center vs. Tennessee on Nov. 16, 2024. She connected on seven of nine shots in that contest, including a 3-of-5 showing on three-pointers.
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Mills is a 2024 graduate of Liberty Christian Academy and helped her team claim its first-ever VHSL Class 3 state title as a senior after the Bulldogs won their first regional championship her junior year. She amassed 2,759 points and surpassed 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists while earning first-team all-state accolades all three seasons she played at LCA (sophomore through senior seasons).
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