Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes Earns Preseason All-SEC Honor

Vanderbilt University’s sophomore guard, Mikayla Blakes, has received notable recognition ahead of the upcoming basketball season. The 16 SEC coaches have named her to the preseason All-SEC First Team, highlighting her impressive performance last year. Blakes averaged 23.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game during her freshman year, leading all Division I freshmen in scoring.

Last season, Blakes earned multiple accolades, including the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year award and recognition as the SEC Newcomer of the Year by USA Today. She was also named an All-American by six different publications. As the new season approaches, Blakes aims to leverage her skills to propel the Commodores back to the NCAA Tournament.

Vanderbilt’s Rising Status in SEC

The No. 19 Commodores enter the new season ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2012-2013 season. This ranking reflects a significant boost for the team, which has been projected to finish eighth in the SEC, marking their highest preseason conference ranking under head coach Shea Ralph. Ralph has successfully led the program to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a feat not achieved since the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.

Despite early exits in the first round of the tournament during the last two years, the team’s back-to-back appearances underscore the progress Ralph has made in revitalizing the program. The upcoming season presents an opportunity to build on this success and make a deeper tournament run.

Upcoming Games and Season Start

Vanderbilt women’s basketball will kick off their season with a highly anticipated exhibition game against Memphis at the FedEx Forum on October 27, 2025. The regular season will officially begin in Paris, France, where the Commodores will face California on November 3, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. CT.

In addition to the women’s basketball team, various other Vanderbilt athletic teams are active this weekend. The men’s tennis team will compete at the Crimson Tide Fall Challenge from October 24-26, while the bowling team will participate in the Destination Orlando event during the same dates. The volleyball team will host Georgia on Friday at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+, followed by a match against South Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Additionally, the football team is set to play against No. 15 Missouri on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

The Vanderbilt community is looking forward to the upcoming basketball season, with fans eager to see how Mikayla Blakes and her teammates perform as they strive for greater achievements on the court.