BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On Tuesday, Vanderbilt women’s basketball sophomore Mikayla Blakes earned her fifth SEC Player of the Week honor of the 2025-26 campaign to set the school record for most received by a player in a single season.
Blakes’ fifth SEC Player of the Week accolade breaks a tie with Wendy Scholtens, who won the award four times during the 1989-90 season. Her five SEC Player of the Week honors are the most by any player this season, two more than any other SEC player.
It is Blakes’ sixth overall SEC Player of the Week accolade in her career, which is second-most in school history to Scholten’s eight selections from 1987-91. The Vanderbilt guard shared this week’s honor with South Carolina’s Madina Okot. Blakes was previously named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 2, Jan. 6, Jan. 20 and Feb. 10.
Blakes recorded her fourth-straight 30-point game against a ranked team this past Sunday, as the sophomore scored 35 points in an 81-79 victory over No. 16/18 Kentucky.
The guard was efficient against the Wildcats, shooting 50 percent from the field (11-of-22) and from 3-point range (3-of-6), while she went 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. Blakes was clutch down the stretch, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter and going 5-of-6 from the free throw line. The All-American collected five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the victory.
Blakes’ 35 points against the Wildcats marked her 10th 30-point performance of the season. She is the first SEC player this century to have 10 30-point games in the same season, eight of which have come against conference foes. She is also the second SEC player in the last 15 seasons to have nine-straight 20-point games in league play.
With her performance this week, Blakes extended her double-digit scoring streak to 47 games, which is the longest active streak in the SEC and third-longest in the nation. The sophomore leads the country in scoring at 26.6 points per game, while her 10 30-point performances lead the nation.
The win over Kentucky improved Vanderbilt’s overall record to 25-3 and 11-3 in SEC play. The 11 conference victories tie the 2007-08 squad for the most SEC wins in a single season in program history. Vandy also clinches one of the four double byes at the 2026 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Dores collected their 25th victory on the season, tying them for the seventh-most wins in program history with the 2007-08 team. It is the first 25-win season for Vanderbilt since 2008-09, when the Dores posted 26 victories. It is also Vandy’s sixth win over a ranked team this season, as the Dores are now 6-2 against top-25 foes.
Vanderbilt closed out the 2025-26 regular-season home slate on Thursday, as Vanderbilt welcomes No. 24/24 Alabama. Tipoff against the Crimson Tide is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and streams live on SEC Network+.
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