Mikayla Blakes Earns Preseason All-SEC Honor Ahead of 2025 Season

Vanderbilt University’s women’s basketball team is making headlines as sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes has been named to the preseason All-SEC First Team by a vote from the league’s 16 coaches. This recognition highlights her impressive performance during her freshman season, where she averaged 23.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Blakes led all Division I freshmen in scoring, establishing herself as a key player for the Commodores.

Last season, Blakes received multiple accolades, including the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year and the SEC Newcomer of the Year by USA Today. She also earned All-American honors from six different publications. As the upcoming season approaches, Blakes is focused on utilizing her skills to help guide Vanderbilt back to the NCAA Tournament.

Under the leadership of head coach Shea Ralph, the No. 19 ranked Commodores are appearing in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2012-2013 season. The team is projected to finish eighth in the SEC, marking the highest preseason conference ranking since Ralph took over the program. Ralph has led Vanderbilt to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a notable achievement, even though both years ended with first-round exits. This marks the first time since the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons that the Commodores reached the tournament in back-to-back years, demonstrating significant progress within the program.

Vanderbilt will kick off their season with an exhibition game against Memphis at the FedEx Forum on October 27, 2025. The regular season begins on November 3, 2025, in Paris, France, where the Commodores will face California at 1:30 p.m. CT.

As the team prepares for the upcoming season, interest in Vanderbilt women’s basketball continues to grow. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how Blakes and her teammates perform on both national and international stages.

In addition to the women’s basketball team making strides, other Commodore teams are also in action. This weekend’s schedule includes the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team competing at the Crimson Tide Fall Challenge from October 24-26, and the Vanderbilt bowling team participating in the Destination Orlando event during the same dates. The Vanderbilt 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. The No. 10 Vanderbilt football team is set to face No. 15 Missouri on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

In recent achievements, two Vanderbilt men’s golf players received weekly honors. Sophomore Ryan Downes was named the SEC Co-Golfer of the Week after posting an impressive 8-under score in the final round of the fall season, while freshman Jon Ed Steed shared the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week award. Vanderbilt men’s golf will return to action in the spring at the Watersound Invitational on February 16.

As the countdown to the Commodores’ 2025 basketball season opener continues, excitement is building among players and fans alike.