2024-25 Women's Basketball Roster
Roster
Darby, Tess
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Jersey Number 21
Tess Darby
- Class:
- Fifth Year
- Position:
- G/F
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- null
- Hometown:
- Greenfield, Tenn.
- High School:
- Greenfield H.S.
- Player Shop:
- Shop
Bio
CAREER HIGHS
* Indicates most recent high
- Points: 18 // Liberty, 12/31/23
- Rebounds: 10 // Kentucky, 3/7/24
- Assists: 6 // Chattanooga, 12/27/21
- Steals: 4 // Texas A&M, 1/12/23*
- Blocks: 2 // Tenn. Tech, 12/1/21
- Field Goals: 6 // N.C. Central, 12/14/24
- 3-Pointers: 6 // Liberty, 12/31/23
- Free Throws: 4 // LSU, 3/4/23*
- Minutes: 37 // LSU, 3/4/23*
CAREER HONORS
- SEC Academic Honor Roll -- 2024-25
- SEC Community Service Team -- 2024-25
- SEC Academic Honor Roll -- 2023-24
- SEC Community Service Team -- 2023-24
- SEC Academic Honor Roll -- 2022-23
- SEC Community Service Team -- 2022-23
- SEC Academic Honor Roll -- 2021-22
- VOLeaders Academy -- 2021-22
- SEC Academic Honor Roll -- 2020-21
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Averaged 5.8 ppg. and 2.5 rpg. while starting 84 of 146 games played in five seasons at Tennessee.
- Her 146 appearances over five seasons tie her for second in program history along with Nicky Anosike and behind only Chamique Holdsclaw (148).
- Has hit 228 career treys to rank fifth all-time in program history.
- Stands third in career three-pointers attempted with 626.
- Her 36.4 shooting percentage (228-626) from long range was 12th best at Tennessee.
- Had UT’s No. 10 single-season sum of treys (70) in 2022-23.
- Single-game sum of 13 threes attempted vs. N.C. Central on Dec. 14, 2024, tied for fifth-most all-time by a Lady Vol.
2024-25 - FIFTH YEAR
- Averaged 6.4 ppg. and 1.8 rpg. while playing in 33 games and starting 11 of them.
- Shot 34.1 percent from the three-point arc, hitting 58 treys to rank third on the team.
- Scored in double figures six times and led her team in three-point shooting on nine occasions.
- Produced a season-high 17 points vs. N.C. Central, hitting five treys and six total field goals.
- Recorded 14 points off four treys and tallied five rebounds vs. Middle Tennessee.
- Logged 12 points, hitting four treys while grabbing a season-high six boards against Memphis.
- Carded 12 points while adding two steals, two rebounds and an assist vs. Western Carolina.
- Knocked down three treys, tallying 11 points and a season-best three steals vs. No. 17/20 Iowa.
- Contributed 10 points, an assist and a steal versus Winthrop.
- Hit three of five shots from beyond the arc to contribute nine points vs. Ohio State in the NCAA Second Round.
- Notched eight points, two rebounds and two assists vs. South Florida in the NCAA First Round.
- Registered nine points from three treys versus Alabama.
- Compiled nine points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist in 20 minutes against UT Martin.
- Tallied eight points, three assists and two rebounds vs. Auburn.
- Contributed eight points and a steal at Vanderbilt.
2023-24 - SENIOR
- One of four players to appear in all 33 games, earning eight starts and averaging 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds.
- Scored in double figures four times and had nine points on five other occasions.
- Finished second on the team with 44 three-pointers, hitting at a 32.4-percent clip.
- Had six games where she made three or more treys.
- Averaged 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the field, including 50 percent on threes, during the NCAA Tournament.
- Tied for 11th all-time at UT by hitting six three-pointers vs. Liberty, finishing with a career-high 18 points.
- Went 4-of-4 from the field, including three treys, to record an NCAA high of 11 points vs. Green Bay in the first round.
- Carded her first college double-double, tallying 10 points and 10 boards in 25 minutes vs. Kentucky in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
- Finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and a (then) career-high nine rebounds at No. 18/22 Florida State.
- Had back-to-back nine-point performances at Vanderbilt and vs. No. 13/10 LSU.
- Had eight points, three steals, three assists and two rebounds in a home win over Kentucky.
- Studied abroad in Iceland the summer prior to her senior season.
2022-23 - JUNIOR
- Averaged 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 24.0 minutes per game while starting 35 of 37 contests.
- Shot 41.9 percent on field goals, 40.9 percent on threes and 81.5 percent at the free-throw line.
- Her three-point shooting percentage ranked third among SEC competitors.
- Tallied a career-high 12 games with double-figure scoring, including nine times in league play.
- Drained 70 three-pointers for the No. 9 single-season total in school history.
- Hit a (then) career-high five threes en route to a (then) career-high-tying 17 points against Auburn.
- Nailed four treys in an overall six-of-12 shooting performance en route to 16 points against Georgia.
- Poured in 16 points and pulled down four rebounds against Alabama.
- Chipped in 14 points on 55.6-percent shooting in Tennessee’s second meeting with Vanderbilt.
- Turned in 13 points in a home win over Mississippi State on four made three-pointers.
- Shot 80 percent from beyond the arc, draining four threes to finish with 12 points against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament.
- Contributed 10 points in UT’s SEC Tournament semifinal game win vs. No. 4/3 LSU.
- Sank three treys en route to 10 points vs. Saint Louis in the NCAA First Round.
- Finished with 10 points at Texas A&M while tying her career high of four steals and setting a new career high of eight rebounds. Opened the season vs. No. 14/15 Ohio State, UMass and No. 12/11 Indiana with a trio of three-pointers vs. each for nine points.
2021-22 - SOPHOMORE
- Played in 33 games, starting 30 and averaging 5.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
- Finished the season hitting 100 percent on free throws (10-10) and 38.3 percent on threes (49-128).
- Led the team in three-pointers with 49 on the season, the most at UT since Meme Jackson hit 54 in 2018-19.
- Her career three-point field goal percentage (37.6) ranked No. 10 in the Tennessee record book through 2021-22.
- In SEC play, she improved her contributions to 6.3 ppg. and then scored 7.5 ppg. in the SEC Tournament.
- Her three-point marksmanship also increased to 48.1 percent (26-54) over 15 league contests.
- Scored in double figures in six games, including four times during the SEC slate.
- Hit three or more treys 11 times and was UT’s leading three-point shooter on 15 occasions.
- Led UT in steals six times to rank fifth on the team in that category.
- Scored a career-high 17 points vs. Mississippi State, enjoying a 5-of-6 night beyond the three-point arc.
- Drained three treys and went a perfect four of four from the free-throw line for 13 points against Ole Miss.
- Fired in 12 points vs. Alabama in the SEC quarterfinals, going two for five on threes and two of two on free throws.
- Nailed four of seven three-balls to contribute 12 points, three rebounds and a steal against Missouri.
- Hit double figures for the first time in college, going three of six on treys to score 11 points vs. Kansas in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas.
- Capped off a 9-for-16 spree on threes over a three-game stretch, nailing four of six to tally 12 points vs. Tennessee Tech.
- Filled the stat sheet vs. Chattanooga, carding a career-best six assists and five rebounds while tallying nine points via a 3-of-5 effort from three-point land.
- Had other nine-point efforts vs. #4/4 Louisville in the NCAA Sweet 16 and vs. No. 19/20 Kentucky, vs. Alabama and at Florida.
2020-21 - FRESHMAN
- Slowed by injury during the 2020-21 preseason and had to work her way back after being out of action for an extended period.
- As a result, she appeared in 10 games during her first college season, averaging 2.3 ppg. and 0.6 rpg.
- Made her Lady Vol debut against Furman, hitting a trey to finish with three points.
- Knocked down a pair of threes against UNCG to finish with a season-high six points along with two rebounds & a block in 20 minutes of duty.
- Hit a trey and dished out an assist in her eight minutes of action against Auburn.
- Appeared in both of UT's NCAA Tournament games, playing 13 minutes and carding a three-pointer and two rebounds vs. Middle Tennessee.
- In the NCAA Second Round, she played five minutes vs. Michigan and contributed a rebound, assist and steal vs. the Wolverines.
- Hit threes in SEC road games at Alabama and Kentucky and in the regular-season finale at home vs. Auburn.
USA/SUMMER BASKETBALL
- Selected to compete on Tennessee's entry in the 2023 USA Basketball 3X Nationals.
- Played for Tennessee Flight program.
HIGH SCHOOL
- No. 86 overall player by Blue Star Media.
- No. 144 overall player, No. 33 guard, four-star recruit by ProspectsNation.com.
- No. 29 guard, three-star prospect by espnW HoopGurlz.
- McDonald’s All-America nominee (2020).
- TSWA Class A All-State (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
- All-West Tennessee First Team (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
- All-State Tournament Team (2018, 2019).
- Miss Basketball Finalist (2018, 2020).
- Region Co-MVP (2018, 2019, 2020).
- All-Region (2018, 2019, 2020).
- District MVP (2017, 2018 [co], 2019[co]).
- All-District (2017, 2018, 2019 2020).
- All-District Defensive Team (2020).
- District Tournament Co-MVP (2018, 2019).
- All-District Tournament Team (2018, 2019, 2020).
- All-Defensive MVP (2019).
- Tallied 2,604 points, 902 rebounds, 368 assists and 338 steals in 153 career games.
- Career highs included 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.
- Led Greenfield to a 131-22 record, including 34-0 as a senior.
- GHS won 2018 state title and 2020 run was cut short due to the COVID-19 crisis.
- Helped her team win three regional and sub-state titles and two district crowns.
- Averaged 16.7 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 2.7 apg. and 2.2 spg. as a senior, while shooting 63.7 percent from the field, 44 percent on three-pointers and 81.5 percent from the free throw line.
- Averaged 18.8 ppg., 9.0 rpg., 3.3 apg. and 2.5 spg. as a junior, while shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from long range and 82.1 percent from the charity stripe.
- Named Top 10 at GHS and recognized as a Tennessee Scholar.
- Delegate in Weakley County Youth Leadership and Tennessee Girls State.
PERSONAL
- Full name is Jessica Montess Darby.
- Born in Jackson, Tenn., on April 27, 2002.
- Parents are Tandy and Kasi Darby.
- Father played baseball at UT Martin.
- Mother played basketball at Union University.
- Has two sisters: Edie and Sloan.
- Tess and Edie played together at GHS.
- Chose UT over Georgia Tech and Texas Tech.
- Graduated with a degree in finance in the spring of 2023.
- Completed a master's in agricultural leadership, education and communication in the summer of 2024.
- Pursuing a second master's degree in business administration with emphasis in entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Recipient of the Jim Stockdale Basketball Scholarship Endowment.
WBB | Kim Caldwell Media Availability (8.28.25)
Thursday, August 28
Lady Vol Basketball Season Attendance 2024-25
Thursday, April 10
WBB | Caldwell, Whitehorn, Spencer Postgame Presser | 3.29.25
Saturday, March 29
WBB | Highlights: Lady Vols 59, Texas 67 (3.29.25)
Saturday, March 29
