Rutgers lands Tennessee transfer "Twin Backcourt" Mia & Mya Pauldo
Rutgers Women’s Basketball continues to be on the board in the Transfer Portal, and get a twin connection to add to the haul.
New head coach Gary Redus II‘s first additions come in a pair, as former Tennessee guards Mia and Mya Pauldo will return home to New Jersey and commit to the Scarlet Knights, they announced on social media.
Both were highly-rated recruits out of Morris Catholic in Denville and departed the Lady Vols after one year. Each played in 27 games as true freshmen, as Mia finished third on the team with 10.4 points per game, while Mya averaged 1.8 per game. Mia earned SEC and National Freshman of the Week twice during the season, and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after the season.
They are the second and third portal adds for the program.
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It was a tumultuous year in Knoxville as Tennessee struggled badly down the stretch in SEC play, and were a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. All of the Lady Vols’ eligible returners have left in the portal, now the Pauldo twins included.
Originally from Paterson, they enjoyed decorated careers at Morris Catholic, with Mia winning New Jersey’s Gatorade Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year Award and becoming a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in 2025. She averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and three steals per game, as the Crusaders went 28-0 and cruised to the Non-Public A state title. Mya averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game in that same season.
The twins got offers from all over the country but eventually landed at Tennessee to start their careers in the SEC. New UCF head coach Gabe Lazo was the primary recruiter, but former Lady Vols assistant Roman Tubner also helped in their recruitment, and is very close with Redus dating back to their days in college.
With Rutgers’ backcourt in flux, the two Pauldo twins give the Scarlet Knights a boost in both top-end talent and depth. Mia started 16 games in a rugged SEC slate, while Mya was a contributor off the bench for an NCAA Tournament team in Tennessee. Nene Ndiaye, Faith Blackstone, and Kaylah Ivey all depart from the backcourt, and the two Pauldo twins replace them.
Their commitment also sends a message that the new coaching staff is ready to recruit talent from the Garden State, an aspect that was not prioritized as much under the previous staff. Redus made sure to mention recruiting the local area in his introductory press conference, and now has taken steps to follow through on it.
“I’m speaking directly to every high-level athlete, high-level high school player in the state and in the tri-state area, especially — specifically — New Jersey, because you are our first priority,” he said in his opening statement. “We will recruit the best players in the country and work relentlessly to build a championship-level roster, but locking down home is priority one. High school, AAU coaches, players, parents, our campus is open, and this is your standing invite.”
Rutgers Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
| TRANSFERS OUT | DESTINATION | TRANSFERS IN | FORMER SCHOOL |
| Antonia Bates | N/A | Mia Pauldo | Tennessee |
| Nene Ndiaye | N/A | Mya Pauldo | Tennessee |
| Makylah Moore (Intends to enter) | N/A | Jaylah Lampley | Mississippi State |
| Yacine Ndiaye | N/A | ||
| Janae Walker | N/A |
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