The Vanderbilt Commodores are having a strong season, boasting a 23-2 record. One of the key drivers for Vanderbilt has been Mikayla Blakes, who is leading the team in almost every basketball metric.
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Blakes has emerged as a scoring machine for the Commodores and has had a whirlwind start to the year. The 20-year-old has recorded three consecutive 30-point games and leads the nation’s scoring charts.
This earned a comparison to WNBA stars like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, according to Vanderbilt Head Coach Shea Ralph. Talking to the press after the win over the Oklahoma Sooners, Shea was all praise for the 20-year-old.
“It feels like in a year without Caitlin, without Paige, without JuJu, Mikayla is the next logical person to be the star of this sport. Why has this come along so slowly, to where she feels under-discussed, and she’s had back-to-back-to-back 30-plus point games and is one of the scoring leaders of the country?”
Caitlin Clark ruled Women’s College Basketball for two good years. After her ascension to the WNBA, Paige Bueckers stole the limelight and has continued to do so in the big league since being drafted in 2025. JuJu Watkins has been out for the entire season at USC, and in her absence, Mikayla Blakes has set herself apart from the pack of promising players.
The 20-year-old has surpassed Audi Crooks, with 648 points in 25 games played so far. Blakes breached the 30 points mark six times so far this season and has been on a tear recently. Her hauls always help her side get the results. Be it the 37 points that helped them clinch a thriller against Kentucky by a single point or the 34 points that helped them weather the storm against Oklahoma
Blakes still has a few more years of College Basketball left as well, and will most likely be targeting the 2028 WNBA Draft.
Mikayla Blakes has found her Robin in Aubrey Galvan
Aubrey Galvan’s emergence has revitalised the Vanderbilt Commodores. The freshman formed a great backcourt pairing with Mikayla Blakes and has been supporting her on both ends. Against the Oklahoma Sooners, the pairing contributed 64 points out of the team’s 102.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Shea Ralph praised both Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan, highlighting that the team calls them Batman and Robin. The duo’s impact on Vanderbilt’s season is evident, with the Women’s College Basketball team boasting a 23-2 record.
Galvan has emerged as a serious contender for SEC Freshman of the Year, with the guard becoming a starter in her first season at Vanderbilt. The freshman currently averages 33.8 minutes of game time, which goes to show how important she is within the Vanderbilt setup.
Blakes also highlighted how Galvan has become one of the most important players for the team. The 20-year-old also highlighted her passing ability, vision, defensive capabilities, and her ability to create her own shots as well, making her a complete package.
To add to it, her ability to go on a scoring spree as she did against Oklahoma can help take some pressure off of Blakes, who has been shouldering most of the offensive burden for the Commodores.
Shea would hope Galvan can replicate the Oklahoma performance leading the Commodores towards March Madness.