BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The SEC media selected Vanderbilt women’s basketball’s rising sophomore Mikayla Blakes to its 2025-26 Preseason All-SEC first team.
Blakes is coming off the most successful freshman campaign in program history, as she averaged 23.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game a season ago. Her 23.3 points per game average led all NCAA Division 1 freshmen, while she led freshmen nationally in seven different categories. Blakes named the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year last season, making her the first Commodore to win a National Freshman of the Year honor from any publication. The Somerset, New Jersey, native was also named an All-American by six different publications during her freshman season.
Additionally, the Commodores were selected at No. 7 in the Preseason SEC Media Poll. It is the highest preseason prognostic for Vanderbilt under fifth-year head coach Shea Ralph, who has Vandy seeking its third-consecutive bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Along with her national honors, Blakes was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches and was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year by USA Today. The guard set the NCAA Division I single-game scoring record for a freshman by scoring 55 points in an overtime win at Auburn on Feb. 16, 2025. The guard twice set the SEC and Vanderbilt single-game scoring records, as she first had 53 points at Florida on Jan. 30, then topped that performance with a 55-point effort at Auburn. Blakes is the second NCAA Division I player in NCAA history to score 53-plus points in multiple games in a season and the first since the 1988-89 campaign.
Blakes will be one of four Vanderbilt women’s basketball representatives at this week’s SEC Basketball Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama. The guard will be joined by graduates Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Sacha Washington, along with coach Ralph. Vanderbilt women’s basketball will take the stage on Tuesday between 10:35-11 a.m. CT.
Fans can click here to view all game times for the 2025-26 Vanderbilt women’s basketball campaign. Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now.
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