Lady Vols basketball senior Ruby Whitehorn was charged with a misdemeanor during a traffic stop, according to an incident report obtained by Knox News on Oct. 31.
A University of Tennessee Police officer conducted the traffic stop at 4:31 a.m. on Oct. 30 after seeing “a vehicle failing to maintain lanes numerous times,” according to the report.
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Whitehorn, 21, was stopped at Dale Ave and 17th Street, and UTPD said they confiscated 5.59 grams of marijuana. A misdemeanor citation was issued for simple possession.
Whitehorn, who is just under two months removed from a team suspension following a previous arrest and judicial diversion, was stopped hours after scoring 18 points in Tennessee’s 148-48 exhibition win over Columbus State on Oct. 29.
“We are aware of the situation and awaiting additional information,” a Tennessee spokesperson told Knox News on Oct. 30.
Whitehorn’s attorney, Gregory Isaacs, told Knox News on Oct. 31 that Whitehorn was “cooperative and transparent” when she interacted with law enforcement.
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“She intends to enter a plea of not guilty at her arraignment,” Isaacs said. “We anticipate a positive result in this misdemeanor case.”
Whitehorn was indefinitely suspended after she was arrested Aug. 8 on two felony charges of aggravated burglary and domestic assault.
Whitehorn later pleaded guilty during a preliminary hearing on Sept. 5 to two misdemeanors – vandalism and aggravated criminal trespass – under a commonly offered agreement that will erase the convictions from her record if she meets the requirements of the deal. She was reinstated to the team by coach Kim Caldwell the week of Sept. 8.
Whitehorn has to complete the requirements of her probationary period of 11 months and 29 days in order for her record to be expunged through the judicial diversion. The terms of her probation include anger management and “no trouble or assaultive behavior” against the woman involved in the incident.
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Whitehorn, who transferred to Tennessee from Clemson prior to the 2024-25 season, is expected to be a key player for the Lady Vols again after averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists on their run to the Sweet 16 last season.
Whitehorn told Knox News on Oct. 22 that a lot of limitations were put in place by Caldwell. She saw it as a test of how much she wanted to return and represent the Lady Vols.
“I don’t know that everybody would have made the decision that I have to come back,” Whitehorn said. “But I know that I love this university, and I love my team and my coaches so much that anything was worth coming back to play my last year at Tennessee. So I think the conversations that we had were very, very hard.
“But her, as a coach and as a person, she’s hard on you. She gives you tough love, whether you like it or not, and at the end of the day, you can appreciate it.”
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Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Incident report obtained on Lady Vols’ Ruby Whitehorn misdemeanor citation
