With some key players back and important new additions the Greeneville girls basketball team will head into the 2025-26 season looking to capture a fourth district championship in five years.
“We’ve had a productive summer, and we’ve scrimmaged both Lenoir City and Upperman in the preseason,” Greeneville coach Annette Watts said. “I feel pretty good about where we are, but we still need to buy in more on defense to get where I want to be. This group is playing really well together, and I attribute that to them having high basketball IQs.”
The Lady Greene Devils return three starters from a year ago and they add two important veterans with plenty of scoring experience to that group as they try to improve on last year’s 22-11 season that ended in the Region 1-3A semifinals. It was their first finish short of the state tournament since 2021.
The most notable addition to Greeneville’s lineup is senior guard Brylee Tullock who spent the last three seasons at David Crockett where she became the Lady Pioneers’ all-time leading scorer in the 5-on-5 era. She can score from all levels, and adds All-District, All-Region and maybe even All-State level talent to the rotation.
“I think adding Brylee takes pressure off of everyone else,” Watts said. “With her in there I’ve seen a lot fewer forced shots. That kid can flat out score, but we need her to do as much defensively as she does offensively. She has come in and been a great teammate. She has embraced Greeneville.”
In the paint the Lady Devils return junior Maria Lyde who was the top scorer in Greene County a year ago with 15.5 points per game. She was named the District 2-3A Defensive Player of the Year. Lyde averaged 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and her presence in the lane will be even more important this season after All-County post Abby Adkins graduated.
“We know what Maria can do,” Watts said. “She can defend and she can rebound, and she can score inside. She knows that she has to be a strong presence inside, and if you can handle some of the teams we have played in the preseason I think she can do it against anybody we’ll play.”
Sophomore Julia Woolsey is a player that Watts may be most optimistic about as she enters the season with a year’s worth of starting experience under her belt. Watts values her basketball IQ and ability to do a lot of different things that will help the team. Depending on the lineup around her the coach expects to be able to plug her in anywhere one through four in the lineup.
“Julia is going to be such a unique player for us this year,” Watts said. “She can run the point, she can be a stretch four, and she can be a two guard. I’m excited to see how we can get the most out of her.”
Matea Gray returns as a senior starter for the Lady Devils and will be one of the most important pieces of the defense as she leads things from the top of the formation with her speed and quick hands.
Senior Jordan Swatzell is back in the Lady Greene Devils’ lineup after proving she could be deep threat as a sophomore. Swatzell missed her entire junior campaign with a knee injury, but she is healthy once again. Once she shakes off that rust Watts expects Swatzell to not only knock down shots, but to also defend on the perimeter.
The Lady Devils’ fourth senior is a newcomer in Emma Shelton who has been an important piece of the Lady Devils volleyball team. She will add depth in the post and add another physical presence in the paint that the Lady Devils need.
Allison Hayes is back for her sophomore season and is another player Watts has seen growth from in the offseason. Last year Hayes came off the bench to provide valuable spurts of tough defense and occasional deep shots. This year the Lady Devils are looking for an even bigger role from her.
Greeneville will also add three freshmen to the varsity lineup this season in Kinsley Spradlen, Paizlie Christian and Ava Richey.
The Lady Greene Devils will challenge themselves with a tough non-district schedule this year. That includes quality Class 4A opponents Bearden, Maryville, Science Hill, Dobyns-Bennett, Morristown East, West Ridge and Sevier County, as well as Class 3A State Tournament contender Alcoa. In addition to that they will play in the always tough Doc Maples Tournament before Christmas and the Ladies Classic after Christmas.
Within District 2-3A play Watts sees the league as wide open with Cherokee, Volunteer and Grainger all returning talented squads.
“We know we still have to grow defensively. We have to focus on boxing out, because we are little. But this group is coming along nicely,” Watts said. “We know this schedule will get us ready for the postseason. We need these girls to fight every night and know that this will make us better. They have to believe that we can play with these teams, and that we can beat any of them.”
The Lady Devils will open the season on Thursday, November 20 with a trip to Bearden.
The 2025-26 Greeneville Media Day was a success! With on-air interviews, behind-the-scenes exclusives, and some incredible highlights, GreeneSportsZone and WGRV are here to fulfill all your content needs.#FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/5tyJ5Pc7H4
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 11, 2025
Greeneville 🏀 Media Day was a blast! We look forward to hitting more schools this week and showcasing the local county talent we have in this area! pic.twitter.com/6n2rgzg87o
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 11, 2025
We were able to grab Lady Devils Head Coach Annette Watts on a busy Media Day at Hal Henard to get some thoughts on Greeneville’s season ahead. Listen in to hear her excitement on what’s ahead. pic.twitter.com/a7odr4bMtw
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 11, 2025
Greeneville senior Brylee Tullock (@bryleetullock) spoke with us about her transition to becoming a Lady Devil for her senior season and how excited she is for the upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/m8NmeCw3Qc
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 11, 2025
