Jordan Horston hasn't made decision about fifth year with Lady Vols basketball or WNBA Draft

Jordan Horston isn't ready to make a decision about returning for a fifth year with Lady Vols basketball yet.

That's not her style, though she said she's happy for Tennessee teammates Tamari Key and Rickea Jackson, who announced recently they would return for fifth seasons. Horston said she's focusing on games right now, and when she makes her decision she'll "put it out there."

"It's a stressful situation, so I'm happy that they were able to have a clear mind and make their decision and be able to just focus on basketball," Horston told Knox News on Friday. "I feel like for me, it's different, because I don't even look at it (that far ahead) ... I have to focus on what's in the day in order to keep me sane. But I'm very happy that they made their decision, I'm happy that they're proud of their decision and I'm excited for them, because I love them."

Horston, who has played for four seasons at Tennessee, has an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline for players to declare for the WNBA Draft is March 27, but if a team is still playing in the NCAA Tournament, players that still have eligibility will have until 48 hours after their final game to declare for the draft.

YOUNG POSTS STEP UP: How Karoline Striplin and Jillian Hollingshead grew into Tamari Key's role for Lady Vols

NCAA FIRST ROUND: Lady Vols basketball vs. St. Louis: NCAA first round scouting report, score prediction

NCAA PREDICTION: Why Lady Vols basketball can – and can’t – reach March Madness’ Final Four

In Jackson's case, it was important to have peace of mind going into her first NCAA Tournament.

"I just wanted to get that out there, so I can just focus on the opponent at hand and continue to focus at practice and things like that," Jackson told reporters Friday. "It definitely feels a relief to get it off my chest."

There are some programs where players leave without long lasting connections and relationships, Horston said, but that's not Tennessee. Jackson and Key's decision to return is proof of the culture and relationships Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper has with her players.

Jackson said that was a big part of her decision to stay for a second season with Tennessee. The senior forward spent her first three seasons at Mississippi State, and said she always felt like she was "50-50" on coming back since she arrived in Knoxville.

"This is the first time where I felt like it's a family here," Jackson said. "And I never played under a coach or with the same team for more than a year, so this will be the first time I got the same coach for two years ... Even coming to Tennessee, I always told myself, if this is a great year, if the team is going to be how I think it's going to be, if it's just healthy, then I always highly considered coming back."

Harper said she wasn't surprised that Jackson decided to return.

"She loves it here, and she has really embraced being a Lady Vol," Harper said. "She knows that her future – she's got a great future ahead of her. I don't think she's rushing to get there. I think she understands what this place means, and she's enjoyed it. I mean, she really has."

Key, who lost her senior season due to blood clots found in her lungs, posted several reasons for coming back on Twitter on Friday. One of them was chartered flights in college – a topic that has been a hot-button issue about the WNBA. The league's collective bargaining agreement with the players' union does not allow chartered flights. WNBA teams often face travel issues or delays while flying commercial.

One of Key's other reasons was name, image and likeness deals for college players. WNBA rookie contracts aren't much more – and are sometimes less – than what she and others make from NIL opportunities in college.

Harper said she doesn't know if the NIL opportunities make the decision easier or harder for players.

"The opportunities to take advantage of their name and who they are are really lucrative at the college level," Harper said. "Sometimes it makes those decisions harder, because now they're presented with two really good options. So many of these players, their dream is to play in the WNBA. That's a big deal, too. That's your dream. That's what they're weighing right now – the wonderful life that's being a college athlete versus taking the next step and living their dream."

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jordan Horston hasn't made decision about fifth year with Lady Vols