No. 5/5 Vanderbilt (25-3, 11-3 SEC) vs. No. 24/23 Alabama (21-7, 7-7 SEC)
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network+ • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Program
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 5/5-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team closes out the 2025-26 regular-season home slate this Thursday, as the Commodores host No. 24/23 Alabama. Tipoff from Memorial Gymnasium is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and streams live on SEC Network+.
Starting Five
>> Vandy enters the final regular season home game sporting a 25-3 overall record and an 11-3 mark in SEC play. The Commodores are coming off an 81-79 victory over No. 16/18 Kentucky to post their sixth win over a ranked team this season. Sophomore Mikayla Blakes scored a game-high 35 points to record her 10th 30-point performance of the season.
>> The Commodores head into Thursday looking to set a program record for most SEC wins in a season with 12. Vanderbilt’s 11 league victories this season are tied with the 2007-08 squad for the most SEC wins in a single season in school history.
>> Vanderbilt is 15-0 at home this season. A win on Thursday would give the Dore their first undefeated regular season at home in school history.
>> Vanderbilt has won 15-straight home games this season, which marks the school record for longest home winning streak in a single season. Overall, the Commodores have won 16-consecutive games at Memorial Gym dating back to 2024-25, which is tied for the longest home winning streak in total this century, matching the 16-game streak that ran between the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
>> The Dores and Crimson Tide meet for the 58th time. Vanderbilt leads the series 35-22, which dates back to the 1977-78 season. The Commodores are 19-5 against Alabama at Memorial Gymnasium, though the Crimson Tide have won the last four games played in Nashville, as the last Vandy home victory over Alabama came on Jan. 26, 2017. Vanderbilt is 1-5 vs. Alabama under head coach Shea Ralph. The Commodores posted a 66-64 win at Alabama last season, breaking a 10-game skid to the Crimson Tide.
Squishmallows Hit The Court
Get ready, Commodores: Squishmallows are officially going to college! Jazwares, one of the world’s leading toy companies and creator of the global plush phenomenon Squishmallows, is coming to Nashville to team up with Vanderbilt Athletics for a one-of-a-kind basketball collaboration on the road to March Madness.
The first 5,000 fans to Thursday’s game will receive an exclusive custom-designed premium plush giveaway. These highly collectible giveaways feature Sawyer the Squirrel and Reza the Squirrel Squishmallows dressed in Vandy jerseys and headbands. Special chase plush with sparkle details will be available in very limited quantities, making them a rare must-have for fans.
Game Coverage
Thursday’s contest streams live across the country on SEC Network+ inside the ESPN app at 6:30 p.m. CT with Alex Gould and Drew Maddux 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 sit at No. 5 in both the Associated Press top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll this week. Vandy has been in the top 10 in both polls each of the last eight weeks, which is the longest stretch since a 20-week streak between the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons. This season marks the first time since the 2001-02 campaign that the Dores have been ranked in the top 10 in both major college women’s basketball polls.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of seven heading into the weekend. Vandy has collected seven Quad 1 wins, four Quad 2 victories and six Quad 3 wins through the first 28 games 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.
Taking Care of Business at Home
The Commodores are 61-21 at home under head coach Shea Ralph, and 39-9 at home since the start of the 2023-24 season. The Commodores have won 16-straight home games in a streak that dates back to the 2024-25 season. Vandy has won its first 15 home games of the 2025-26 campaign, which is the longest home winning streak in a single season in school history.
Vanderbilt could secure its first undefeated regular season at home on Thursday, as the Dores are 16-0 at Memorial Gymnasium in 2025-26.
Tough Stretch
Thursday’s contest marks the seventh time in the last nine games that Vanderbilt will take on a top-25 team. Vandy is 6-2 against top-25 teams this season, with three victories over top-10 teams. The six wins over ranked teams this season are the most for the Dores since the 2013-14 campaign.
Nation’s Best Scorer
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes leads the nation in scoring at 26.6 points per game. In SEC play, Blakes is putting up 29.9 points per game through 14 league games. She comes into Thursday having scored 30 points in five of her last six games. Blakes is the first SEC player to accomplish the feat this century.
The 5-8 guard scored a season-high 38 points at Mississippi State on Jan. 15. Blakes has scored 30-plus points in a contest nine times, which are the most 30-point performances in the country this season.
Balanced Scoring
Vanderbilt has had three or more players score double-digit points in 25 of its 28 games this season. The last occurrence came on Feb. 22 when the Commodores had three players record double-figure points in the win vs. No. 16/18 Kentucky.
Scouting the Crimson Tide
Alabama holds a 21-7 overall record and a 7-7 mark in SEC play. The Crimson Tide came in at No. 24 in the AP top 25 and No. 23 in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll, while Alabama is ranked No. 26 in the NET ranking. Alabama is coming off a 76-71 victory at Florida this past Sunday. The Crimson Tide are in Year 13 under head coach Kristy Curry, who is 242-169 during her time in Tuscaloosa.
Senior Jessica Timmons (16.6 ppg) is one of two double-digit scorers for the Crimson Tide. Junior Cody Essence is putting up 11.5 points per game. Alabama has three players averaging between 9.7 and 8.4 points per game.
The Crimson Tide average 71.0 points per game and allow 60.0 points per game. Alabama is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, Alabama allows opponents to shoot 38.2 percent from the field and 29.8 percent beyond the 3-point line.
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