LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on Tuesday that Vanderbilt women’s basketball sophomore Mikayla Blakes has been named to the 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List.
It is the second-straight season that Blakes has been named to the late midseason top 20 watch list for the Wooden Award, which recognizes the most outstanding player in college basketball. It is the second national player of the year watch list that Blakes has been named to this season, as she was also selected to the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year watch list back on Jan. 27. The Somerset, New Jersey, native’s inclusion on the Wooden Award late midseason watch list also puts her in consideration for the Wooden Award All-American team.
The six-time All-American picked up where she left off after a historic freshman season at Vanderbilt. The 2024-25 USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year leads the country in scoring, as Blakes is putting 25.9 points per game this season. The guard has scored 30-plus points in an NCAA-leading eight contests, while she has eclipsed the 25-point plateau in 14 games. Blakes is one of two players in NCAA Division I this season to rank inside the top 10 nationally in scoring (1st; 25.9 ppg) and steals per game (18th; 3.08).
Blakes has twice been named AP National Player of the Week in 2025-26 and was the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week earlier this season. The guard has been on the NCAA Starting 5 three times and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week on two occasions. The sophomore has also been named SEC Player of the Week four times this season, which is tied for the most in a single season in program history.
In addition to leading the nation in scoring, Blakes ranks first in the SEC in field goals made (225), free throws made (136) and points scored (648). She is riding a 43-game double-digit scoring streak, which is the third-longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Blakes has scored 30 points in each of her last three games at the time of print, as she is the first Commodore since the turn of the century to have three-consecutive games with 30 or more points.
The sophomore had back-to-back 30-point performances this week, scoring 37 points in the 84-83 win at No. 16/16 Kentucky last Thursday, then dropping 34 on No. 10/11 Oklahoma in a 102-86 rout at Memorial Gym on Monday. Blakes scored 30 or more points in each of her last three games, making her just the fourth SEC player this century to have three-consecutive 30-point outings. Blakes was efficient throughout the week, as she shot 54.2 percent (26-of-48) from the floor in the pair of top-20 wins.
The No. 5/5-ranked Commodores are set to host No. 4/4 Texas on Thursday in a top-five matchup at Memorial Gymnasium. Tipoff against the Longhorns is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and streams live on SEC Network+. Fans can click the link here to purchase tickets.
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