Memphis Tigers forward Paris Gaines may have played her last in the 2025-26 season, as a recent stipulation will likely have her out for the rest of the year. On Monday, March 2, @NILnotNLI on X/Twitter uploaded an excerpt from a report detailing a recent crime Gaines committed, for which she has been indefinitely suspended by coach Alex Simmons‘ program. The current campaign is already nearing its end.
According to the said report, Gaines had allegedly been looking for a woman who was with a group of friends. Gaines then went over to a home near the University of Memphis campus to look for the said woman. When she couldn’t find her, witnesses claimed that Gaines stayed in front of the home, standing with her armed gun, and kept looking for her.
Gaines has since been arrested by authorities and is being charged with aggravated assault. As a result of all of this, her Memphis-based program has decided to suspend her indefinitely from playing and participating in team activities, as the Tigers have had a difficult season thus far. Nevertheless, Gaines will likely not suit up anymore for her squad this season.
“Police were called to a home near campus early Monday morning, where three women said their friend had been “jumped” by Gaines. According to the police report, the group went outside and saw Gaines standing in front of the neighboring home armed with a gun and looking for the victim, who had left. Gaines was then arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault,” the report said.
Gaines is currently in her third season of collegiate hoops. She spent her freshman year with coach Brandon Schneider’s Kansas Jayhawks in 2023-24 and then her sophomore year with coach Hana Haden’s Georgia Southern Eagles in 2024-25. Currently with the Tigers, Gaines has played in 25 of her team’s 29 games thus far, and has even started eight of them.
The 2025-26 Memphis Tigers Are In The Midst Of A Challenging Campaign
The 2025-26 Memphis Tigers will now look to close out their season on a strong note but without the services of Paris Gaines, as they have endured a difficult campaign so far.
Currently, the Tigers have an overall record of 9-20 (3-13 American), and are sitting as the 12th seed in the 2026 American Conference standings.
Memphis has two games left in its regular season schedule, against the UAB Blazers and the Wichita State Shockers.
