Lady Vols basketball is getting a key contributor back for the 2024-25 season.

Tennessee guard Tess Darby announced her decision to return for her final season of eligibility while taking advantage of an additional year granted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

She previously has played her first four collegiate seasons with the Lady Vols.

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Darby is coming off a season where she played in 33 games and started eight. She averaged 20.8 minutes per match while posting 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

This came on 33.1% shooting from the field and 32.4% shooting on 3-pointers. As a junior, her numbers sat at 7.4 points on 40.9% 3-point shooting.

Darby is primarily used as a shooter to stretch the floor. Of her 181 attempted field goals as a senior, 136 of them came from beyond the arch.

She will also spend a third season with her young sister, Edie Darby. The pair played in high school together before Edie walked on to Tennessee to rejoin her sister.

Edie averaged 1.1 points per game in 13 appearances off the bench as a sophomore.

Tess won a 2018 state title for in-state Greenfield and were among the favorites for the 2020 season before it was cut short due to Covid-19.

She is the first of the trio of seniors with additional eligibility to announce a return following the hiring of Kim Caldwell. Tamari Key decided to end her college career while Jewel Spear is still weighing her options after initially announcing a return.

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