SEC Coaches Tab Blakes Preseason Player of the Year – Vanderbilt Commodores

Women's basketball voted No. 3 in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll, while Blakes, Galvan and Woolfolk earn preseason All-SEC honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday that Vanderbilt women’s basketball junior Mikayla Blakes was named the 2026-27 SEC Preseason Player of the Year, while Aubrey Galvan and Mia Woolfolk earned preseason All-SEC honors, and the Commodores were ranked No. 3 in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Blakes, one of five unanimous selections to the preseason All-SEC first team, picked up her third SEC Preseason Player of the Year honor ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The Somerset, New Jersey, native also earned the distinction from the SEC media and USA TODAY Sports on Oct. 12.
Galvan joined Blakes on the preseason All-SEC first team, while Woolfolk was voted to the preseason All-SEC second team.
The Commodores were one of three schools with multiple players on the preseason first-team all-conference honors. Vandy’s three total preseason All-SEC selections were second-most in the league, trailing only South Carolina’s five.
The Commodores were ranked No. 3 in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll, tied with LSU. South Carolina was voted as the preseason favorite, while Texas was picked No. 2.
Earlier this week, Vanderbilt earned a consensus top-10 preseason ranking for the first time since 2001-02. The Dores were No. 8 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/WBCA Coaches Poll.
The 2026-27 season begins Nov. 2, as the Commodores host Lipscomb at Memorial Gymnasium for Education Day. Tipoff against the Bisons is set for 11 a.m. CT and streams on SEC Network+.
Fans can click the link here to purchase season tickets. Single-game tickets and 4-pack ticket specials are also on sale.
For more information and exclusive content on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team, follow @VandyWBB on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X.
2026-27 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank – Team (Points)
1) South Carolina (239)
2) Texas (215)
T-3) Vanderbilt (204)
T-3) LSU (204)
5) Kentucky (182)
6) Oklahoma (163)
7) Ole Miss (157)
8) Tennessee (124)
9) Mississippi State (120)
10) Texas A&M (93)
11) Florida (85)
12) Missouri (78)
T-13) Alabama (55)
T-13) Georgia (55)
15) Auburn (44)
16) Arkansas (22) 
Preseason Player of the Year
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt 
Preseason First Team All-SEC
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt (u)
Madison Booker, Texas (u)
Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma
Talaysia Cooper, Ole Miss
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina (u)
Aubrey Galvan, Vanderbilt
MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU
Clara Strack, Kentucky (u)
Tessa Johnson, South Carolina
Mikaylah Williams, LSU (u)
(u) – unanimous
Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Breya Cunningham, Texas
Madison Francis, Mississippi State
Chloe Kitts, South Carolina
Jordan Lee, South Carolina
Kiyomi McMiller, Florida
Me’Arah O’Neal, Kentucky
Jada Richardson; Ole Miss
Grace Slaughter, Missouri
Ashlyn Watkins, South Carolina
Sahara Williams, Oklahoma
Mia Woolfolk, Vanderbilt

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