Running It Back – Vanderbilt Commodores

Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan were named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List
ATLANTA – On Thursday, the Naismith Awards announced that Vanderbilt women’s basketball players Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan were selected to the 2026-27 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List.
Vandy is one of nine schools to have multiple players selected to the 50-player Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List this season. The Commodores were also one of three SEC schools to have two or more players named.
It is the latest preseason accolade for the nation’s best backcourt, as Blakes and Galvan were both selected to the preseason All-SEC first team by the league’s coaches.
For Blakes, it is her second time being named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List, as she was a finalist last season. It is Galvan’s first selection to any preseason player of the year watch list of her career by any publication.
Blakes, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, had a record-setting sophomore campaign in 2025-26, as she set the SEC single-season scoring record with 918 points. Her 918 points in 2025-26 also set the NCAA sophomore scoring record. She was named Anne Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year after she averaged 30.5 points per game in SEC contests. She scored 30 or more points in 12 league games, making her the first SEC player this century to accomplish the feat.
Galvan, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, led all NCAA freshmen in assists (193) and assists per game (5.7). She was the only freshman to score 30 points in an SEC game with a career-high 30-point performance vs. Oklahoma. She averaged 13.5 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. Galvan ended her rookie campaign by being selected to the NCAA Fort Worth Region 1 All-Tournament team.
The 2026-27 Vanderbilt women’s basketball season begins Nov. 2, as the No. 8/9-ranked 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+.
All Commodore women’s basketball games can be heard locally on 94.9 The Fan and digitally on the Vanderbilt Athletics app throughout the 2026-27 season.
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.

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