Tennessee
Bella Flemings, No. 16 recruit in 2026 class, commits to Duke over Lady Vols basketball
Five-star guard Bella Flemings has committed to Duke over Lady Vols basketball.
Flemings, who’s ranked No. 16 in the 2026 class, announced her commitment on social media on Oct. 13. Baylor, Miami and TCU were also among her top five schools. She was scheduled to take an official visit to Tennessee on Oct. 9.
The 6-foot prospect out of San Antonio plays at William J. Brennan. Flemings will play for former Lady Vols star Kara Lawson, who was recently named the head coach of the USA Basketball women’s national team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Tennessee has one commitment in the 2026 class. Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards announced her commitment to the Lady Vols during her official visit on Sept. 13. Edwards, who’s ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class, will be the highest-ranked player to sign with Tennessee since Jordan Horston, who was ranked No. 2 in the 2019 class.
The Lady Vols are also targeting five-star guard Trinity Jones, who’s ranked No. 7; five-star forward Brihanna Crittendon, who’s ranked No. 9; five-star guard Olivia Jones, who’s ranked No. 16; four-star wing Lolä Lampley, who’s ranked No. 29; and four-star wing Gabby Minus, who’s ranked No. 44.
Jones, Crittendon and Minus have already taken their official visits. Lampley is set to take her official visit with Tennessee on Oct. 30.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
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Tennessee
Trump pardons former Tennessee House speaker and his aide, who were convicted on federal corruption charges
President Donald Trump pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, who were convicted on federal corruption charges.
Casada, a Republican, was sentenced in September to 36 months in prison after being convicted on 17 charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cothren, the aide, received a shorter sentence.
Casada confirmed the pardon on Thursday in a statement to NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville, saying: “Yes the president called me today and granted me a full pardon. I am grateful of his trust and his full confidence in my innocence through this whole ordeal.”
In a statement, a White House official confirmed Trump’s decision to pardon Casada and Cothren and blamed the Biden administration for over-prosecuting the two men.
“The Biden Department of Justice significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue involving constituent mailers — which were billed at competitive prices, never received a complaint from legislators, and resulted in a net profit loss of less than $5,000. The Biden DOJ responded with an armed raid, perp walk, and suggested sentences exceeding 10 years — penalties normally reserved for multimillion-dollar fraudsters,” the official told NBC News.
The investigation of both men began during Trump’s first term — and the raids of their homes — were conducted in January 2021, while Trump was still in office. The judge who oversaw the case and handed down Casada and Cothren’s sentences was appointed by Trump in his first term.
The charges against Casada and Cothren centered on a consulting firm they founded with another lawmaker, called Phoenix Solutions. Prosecutors alleged that the former House speaker and his aide used the company to illegally funnel money to themselves for campaign and taxpayer-funded work, including by organizing a $52,000 mailer program for Tennessee lawmakers.
Prosecutors said they used a false name — Matthew Phoenix — to run the company.
Several years before Casada was charged, he served as House speaker in Tennessee, but resigned in 2019 after a no-confidence vote by his fellow lawmakers. The vote came in the wake of another scandal involving Casada and Cothren, where the two were accused of exchanging sexually explicit text messages about women. Casada apologized for the texts and said that they were “not the person I am.”
The president this term has also pardoned several other former politicians, including former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, former Tennessee GOP state Sen. Brian Kelsey and former GOP Las Vegas City Councilmember Michele Fiore. He also commuted former GOP Rep. George Santos’ prison sentence.
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