Open Announce
Open Search
Women's Basketball

Nationally Recognized

Vanderbilt women's basketball was named NCAA Team of the Week while Mikayla Blakes earned a second-straight weekly national honor

INDIANAPOLIS – The national recognition for the Vanderbilt women’s basketball program continues to roll in, as on Tuesday, the Commodores were named the NCAA Team of the Week, and guard Mikayla Blakes earned her second-straight USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week honor.

Vanderbilt was selected as the NCAA Team of the Week after breaking into the Associated Press Women’s College Basketball Top 25 Poll for the first time in over a decade. Vandy went 2-0 last week in a pair of SEC games that put them back over .500 in league play at 4-3. The Dores stand at 17-4 overall this season.

The Commodores came in at No. 23 in this week’s AP Top 25 and they were also featured at No. 23 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. It is the first time since Feb. 18, 2014, that Vandy has been featured in both major women’s college basketball polls at the same time.

The Dores collected a 101-60 home win over Arkansas last Thursday to set the school record for most 100-point games in a season with six. Then, the Commodores went on the road to No. 19 Alabama to post their second win over a ranked team this season. Additionally, it was Vanderbilt’s first road win over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 24 Missouri, 56-52, on Feb. 28, 2016.

For the second-consecutive week, Mikayla Blakes has been named the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week. The Vanderbilt first-year guard is the first player this season to win the award twice.

Blakes averaged 28.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals to help Vanderbilt collect wins over Arkansas (101-61) and No. 19 Alabama (66-64). The guard registered back-to-back games with 20 or more points, extending her scoring streak to seven games.

The freshman scored 33 points in a 66-64 win at No. 19 Alabama this past Sunday. The 33-point performance set the program record for most points scored by a freshman in a road contest. Additionally, the guard was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Tuesday.

Vanderbilt was also featured in an Associated Press article on Tuesday morning about making its way back into the AP Top 25. Vandy ending its 11-year drought in the AP Poll also made headlines on ESPN.com and other several national outlets.

The Commodores have won three-straight games and travel to Florida on Thursday for another SEC road matchup. Tipoff against the Gators is set for 6 p.m. CT, and streams live on SEC Network+.

For more information and exclusive content on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team, follow @VandyWBB on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X.

Powered by WMT Digital