NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt women’s basketball standout Mikayla Blakes has been named the Associated Press National Player of the Week after the sophomore guided the No. 5/5-ranked Commodores to a pair of top-20 wins.
Blakes averaged 35.5 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game to pick up her second AP National Player of the Week honor of the season. Overall, it is Blakes’ fourth career AP National Player of the Week award, as she has twice earned the distinction during her freshman season.
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 has registered 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. The guard was efficient throughout the week, as she shot 54.2 percent (26-of-48) from the floor.
In addition to her AP National Player of the Week honor, Blakes was named to this week’s NCAA Starting 5 and was selected as the National Player of the Week by World Exposure Report for the second time this season. Earlier on Tuesday, the Somerset, New Jersey, native picked up her fourth SEC Player of the Week selection and earned her fifth Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week award of the 2025-26 campaign.
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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