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Lady Vols player Zee Spearman was charged with DUI before start of 2025-26 season
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- Lady Vols player Zee Spearman was charged with DUI before start of 2025-26 season
Former Lady Vols basketball player Zee Spearman was arrested for a DUI in Lawrenceville, Georgia, during the summer before her senior season, according to a police report obtained by USA TODAY Sports .
The 6-foot-4 forward played in all 30 of Tennessee's games last season and was not publicly suspended after the incident. Tennessee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. If she was disciplined by Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell, it was not made public. According to USA TODAY Sports, Caldwell was aware of Spearman's arrest when it occurred.
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Unlike Spearman, a pair of two arrests in less than three months before the of start of the season led to the dismissal of Lady Vols guard Ruby Whitehorn , which was acknowledged by UT.
Whitehorn was arrested on Aug. 8 in Knox County after a domestic dispute. Whitehorn faced two felony charges, but eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors. Whitehorn was reinstated to the team after serving a lengthy suspension, but was later dismissed on Nov. 2 after she was charged with simple possession on Oct. 30.
Spearman was pulled over by a Gwinnett County officer at 1:10 a.m. on June 13, 2025 due to the visible speed of her Chevrolet Malibu. Spearman was driving an estimated 100 mph, according to the report, and she told the officer she was going 75 mph when she last looked. The speed limit on the highway was 55 mph.
After Spearman did not pass several field sobriety tests, she took a breathalyzer test. Her blood alcohol content was 0.104% at the scene, according to the report, well above the legal limit of 0.08%. When Spearman took a state chemical test for alcohol at the station, her blood alcohol content was 0.073%, slightly below the legal limit.
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Spearman pled guilty to reckless driving Feb. 9, according to court records, and she was sentenced to probation, community service and substance abuse evaluation. The DUI charge was dropped, according to Gwinnett County court records.
The report stated that there was a "strong odor" of alcohol from the driver's side of the car, Spearman's speech was slow and her walk was "very unsteady" when she exited the car. Her breath also had a "strong odor" or alcohol, according to the report, and Spearman said she was coming from a club in Atlanta , but couldn't name it.
Spearman said she only drank "one margarita," according to the report. The officer also reportedly smelled marijuana in the vehicle and when asked about it, Spearman told the officer she smoked at 10 a.m. that day.
Spearman gave consent to have the car searched, according to the report, and the officer found a bottle of Don Julio tequila on the floor with "a measurable amount of liquid" in it. The officer also found "a case for storing and rolling marijuana blunts," but there was not enough marijuana for evidence submission, according to the report.
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When asked about her marijuana use, Spearman told the officer she "smokes two grams a day," according to the report, and she had smoked three grams that day.
The officer conducted multiple field sobriety tests prior to the breath test and observed several indications of impairment, including swaying while trying to balance or needing arms to balance, taking the incorrect amount of steps, starting too soon and not following all of the instructions given to her.
Spearman, who now plays in the startup Upshot League for the Savannah Steel, was charged on July 6 with speeding and driving with a suspended license in Monroe County, Georgia, according to police records reviewed by USA TODAY Sports. She was released on a $960 bond.
The Dacula, Georgia, native was drafted No. 31 overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA Draft, but she was waived during training camp.
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Spearman started in a team-high 27 games for Tennessee last season and averaged 10.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. The Lady Vols went 16-14 last season, which was the worst winning percentage in program history, and ended the season with eight straight losses.
All eight possible returners entered the transfer portal and Caldwell was left to rebuild an entire roster. She and her staff signed 13 players out of the transfer portal and added a second freshman to the incoming 2026 class to fill out the 15-player roster.
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
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols player Zee Spearman was charged with DUI before start of 2025-26 season
