ATLANTA – On Wednesday, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named Vanderbilt sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes as a finalist for the 2026 Wade Trophy and the Coaches’ All-America team.
Blakes is one of four finalists for the prestigious Wade Trophy, which is presented annually by the WBCA to the best college women’s basketball player. Joining the Vanderbilt guard are Lauren Betts of UCLA, Madison Booker of Texas and Sarah Strong of UConn.
Additionally, the sophomore was one of 48 finalists for this season’s 10-member WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team.
The WBCA NCAA Division I Awards Committee will announce both the 2026 Wade Trophy winner and the 2026 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team on April 2.
Blakes is just the second Commodore to be named a Wade Trophy finalist, while it is the third time Vanderbilt has had a player selected. Chantelle Anderson was a Wade Trophy finalist in both 2001-02 and 2002-03.
The guard has been racking up the postseason awards this season. Blakes has been named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, The Athletic, ESPN and The Sporting News. Earlier this month, Blakes was selected as the SEC Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and USA Today, and was named to the All-SEC first team by both outlets. Additionally, she is on the Wooden Award National Ballot and on the Late Season Watch List for both the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
The guard averaged 27.0 points, 4.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game. Blakes shot 45.8 percent from the floor and held a 36.1 percent success rate from behind the arc in 2025-26. Her 27.0 points per game led NCAA Division I in scoring, as her 12 games with 30-plus points this season were the most by a player in the country.
Blakes set the SEC ablaze this season. The All-American averaged 30.5 points per game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from behind the arc in league games. She is the first SEC player this century to average over 30 points per game in league play.
No. 6/6-ranked Vanderbilt opens the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Memorial Gym this Saturday, as the No. 2-seeded Commodores take on No. 15-seed High Point. Tipoff against the Panthers is set for 6 p.m. CT and airs live across the country on ESPNEWS.
Fans can click the link here to purchase tickets for the first and second round NCAA Tournament games at Memorial Gym. For more information about Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament, click the link here.
The Anchored for Her Campaign
Vanderbilt launched the Anchored for Her campaign to honor its pioneering female student-athletes and cement the university’s place as the premier destination for women’s sports ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of its varsity women’s teams. Bolstered by lead gifts from Vanderbilt Board of Trust members Nina Kohler and Kathleen Justice-Moore, JD’91, Anchored for Her’s initial $50 million goal will fuel investment in sustainable success for a new era of collegiate athletics through facility enhancements, endowed scholarships, coaching and staff positions, capital support and naming opportunities, team-specific Excellence Funds, the Women’s Athletics General Fund and the Competitive Excellence Fund.
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