ATLANTA – Vanderbilt women’s basketball All-American Mikayla Blakes has been named to the 2025-26 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE Watch List, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Blakes is one of 25 players named to the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year watch list, while she is one of 12 SEC players named to the list.
The Somerset, New Jersey, native has been a defensive stalwart for the Commodores this season, as Blakes leads the team in steals (66) and steals per game. The two-way standout is one of two NCAA Division I players to rank inside the top 15 nationally in points scored (2nd; 518) and total steals (12th; 66). The sophomore is third in the SEC in steals, and her 3.14 steals per game ranks fifth in the league.
The reigning USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year is another remarkable sophomore campaign for the Commodores. Blakes leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in scoring at 24.7 points per game. She has been named the SEC Player of the Week three times this season, while she has also earned National Player of the Week honors from the Associated Press (Jan. 6) and the Naismith Trophy (Jan. 5). Recently, Blakes was also selected to the 2025-26 Wooden Award Midseason National Player of the Year Watch List.
Blakes’ efforts have helped Vanderbilt get off to its best start in school history, as the Commodores stand at 20-1 and 6-1 in the SEC entering the week. The Dores opened the 2025-26 season with 20-straight wins to set the school record for longest winning streak. Vanderbilt has returned to the top five in both the Associated Press top 25 (No. 5) and the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll (No. 4) for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
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