On Thursday night, the No. 5-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores didn’t just handle the No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide. They watched their sophomore guard, Mikayla Blakes, step into a territory that was once owned by Caitlin Clark. However, the Commodores head coach, Shea Ralph, made it clear that the milestone wasn’t what defined her star.

Blakes poured in 35 points in the Commodores’ 85–60 win over the Crimson Tide. This marked her fifth straight 30-point game against a ranked opponent in the 2025-26 NCAA season. But that’s not all. This achievement has also helped her in surpassing Clark’s four-game stretch at the University of Iowa.

So when she was asked whether she takes time to process these historic moments in a postgame interview, Blakes admitted she usually doesn’t realize the significance until later.

“I would say I do soak it in a little bit when I see it. Normally, in the moment, like you just told me, but really, I wouldn’t know until I got home, and probably somebody texted it to me. But yeah, I enjoy it. I’m trying to stay in the moment, live in the moment, and be joyful. So being able to acknowledge those types of things is exciting, but there’s still more work to be done,” Mikayla Blakes said.

That’s when coach Ralph delivered the boldest takeaway of the night. “The only thing that she cares about is winning. So if she has to score 50 for us to win, she will. If it’s three and we win, she’s fine. So that’s why she has no idea. But if we don’t win, then you’re going to see a different side of her,” she revealed.

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Surpassing a star like Clark, who changed how fans see women’s basketball today, may headline the box score, but according to coach Ralph, the numbers are secondary. Winning is the standard. And the locker room embraces that edge.

“We are perfectly fine with that. Like that is a-okay with us,” Sacha Washington added.

With the regular season winding down and postseason positioning on the line, the Commodores’ focus is shifting quickly to what’s ahead. The records may grab headlines, but inside the locker room, the message is unchanged – stack wins.

Mikayla Blakes’ Historic Run Rolls On, So What Comes Next?

After their win over the Crimson Tide, the Commodores have improved to 26-3 overall and 12-3 in the SEC. The only losses they have suffered so far came against the:

• No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks (103-74)
• No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels (83-75)
• No. 23 Georgia Lady Bulldogs (76-74)

But because of their wins over ranked opponents like Texas, LSU, and Oklahoma, the Commodores have already secured a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament, guaranteeing a double-bye into the quarterfinals.

Bracket projections have the Commodores trending toward a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would bring early-round games back to Memorial Gym, a building where they haven’t lost all season. So with Selection Sunday approaching and March 18 marking the start of the national tournament, the opportunity in front of this group is clear.

For their next and last game of the regular season, Mikayla Blakes will lead the Commodores against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers on March 1st. ESPN’s analytics favoring the Lady Vols with a 52.5% win probability.

However, regardless of the projections, the task for Vanderbilt remains simple. Beat Tennessee and protect the momentum they’ve built.