No. 12/11 Vanderbilt (13-0, 0-0 SEC) at Arkansas (11-4 0-0 SEC)
Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 • 1 p.m. CT
Bud Walton Arena • Fayetteville, Ark. • SEC Network+
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 12/11-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team puts its undefeated record on the line on Thursday, as the Commodores travel to the Ozarks to take on Arkansas in the 2026 SEC opener. The New Year’s Day tipoff is set for 1 p.m. from Bud Walton Arena and streams live on SEC Network+.
Starting Five
>> The Dores head into SEC play holding a perfect 13-0 record after closing out the 2025 calendar year with a 109-50 home victory over Stonehill. The 109 points are the most Vandy has scored in a game under head coach Shea Ralph. A total of six Dores scored 10-plus points in the win over the Skyhawks, led by sophomore Mikayla Blakes’ game-high 21 points.
>> The Commodores are seeking to match their second-best start to a season in program history on Thursday. Vanderbilt heads to Arkansas sporting a perfect 13-0, and a win over the Razorbacks would match the 1995-96 team’s 14-0 start.
>> Vanderbilt heads into SEC play unbeaten for the fifth time in school history. It is the first time since 1995-96 that the Commodores have held a perfect record going into league play. The other occurrences took place during the 1982-83, 1991-92,1992-93 and 1995-96 seasons.
>> The Dores and Razorbacks matchup for the 42nd time in a series that dates back to the 1991-92 season. Vanderbilt holds a 29-12 lead in the series, while the Commodores have won three-straight games against Arkansas. Vandy is 4-1 against the Razorbacks under head coach Shea Ralph. Vandy is 9-9 all-time in Fayetteville, while Dores posted a 62-53 win in their last visit to Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 25, 2024.
>> Vanderbilt heads into the SEC portion of its schedule with 13 wins, which ties the program record for most victories heading into league play. It is the third-consecutive season that the Commodores have posted 13 nonconference wins heading into their first SEC game. The previous times came during the 2006-07, 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns.
Game Coverage
Thursday’s contest streams live at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+ in the ESPN app, with Brett Dolan and Matt Zimmerman on the call. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville.
National Rankings
The Commodores came in at No. 12 in the Associated Press top 25 and No. 11 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll this week. It marks the program’s highest ranking in either poll since the 2008-09 season.
It is Vanderbilt’s highest placement in the AP top 25 since Week 1 of the 2008-09 season, when the Dores were also ranked 12th.
It is Vandy’s third-straight week at No. 11 ranking in the USA Today/WBCA poll. It is the program’s highest placement in the coaches’ poll since 2008-09, when the Commodores ended the season at No. 8 in the nation.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 13 heading into Thursday’s contest. Vandy has collected three Quad 2 and three Quad 3 wins through the first 13 contests this season.
The Dores opened the season at No. 12 in the first NET rankings of the 2025-26 season. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine seeding and bids.
Undefeated
Vanderbilt has won all 13 of its games this season, coming into Thursday’s SEC opener at Arkansas. The Commodores are one of 11 undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division I this season, and they are also one of five unbeaten SEC teams.
SEC Openers
Vanderbilt is 24-19 all-time in SEC season-opening games. The Commodores are 7-14 when playing their first conference contest at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt is 3-1 in SEC openers under head coach Shea Ralph and has won each of their last two conference openers.
Road Warriors
The Commodores are 10-6 in SEC road games over the last two seasons. Vandy won a program record six road games in 2023-24. Overall, Vanderbilt is 17-7 in true road games since the 2023-24 season.
One of the Nation’s Best Scorers
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes heads into Thursday fourth nationally in scoring at 23.9 points per game, which is also the second-best scoring average in the SEC this season. The 5-8 guard has scored 25-plus points in six games this season.
Blakes’ current 32-game double-digit scoring streak is the fourth-longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest active in the SEC.
Scouting the Razorbacks
Arkansas holds an 11-4 record and a NET of 103 coming into SEC play. The Razorbacks, who are in their first season under head coach Kelsi Musick, are 8-2 at Bud Walton Arena this season. Arkansas is coming off an 81-72 home loss to Arkansas State this past Sunday.
Senior Taleyah Jones leads the Razorbacks in scoring at 17.3 points per game. Junior Jenna Lawrence (12.1 ppg) and freshman Bonnie Deas (11.4 ppg) round out Arkansas’ trio of double-digit scorers. Deas is averaging a double-double on the season, as the 5-9 guard pulls down 10.5 rebounds per game. The freshman has collected five double-doubles this season.
The Razorbacks average 78.4 points per game and give up 68.0 points. Arkansas is shooting 41.1 percent from the floor and 34.0 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, the Razorbacks allow opponents to shoot 37.7 percent from the field and 30.3 percent beyond the 3-point line.
Follow Us
For more information and exclusive content on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team, follow @VandyWBB on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter/X.
