Defensive Stalwart – Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt women's basketball All-American Mikayla Blakes was selected to the Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Team
ATLANTA – Vanderbilt women’s basketball All-American Mikayla Blakes has been named to the 2025-2026 Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Late-Season Team, the organization announced on Thursday.
Blakes is one of 15 players named to the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, while she is one of eight SEC players named to the list.
The Somerset, New Jersey, native has been a defensive stalwart for the Commodores this season, as Blakes leads the team in steals (82) and steals per game (2.93). The two-way standout is one of two NCAA Division I players to rank inside the top 20 nationally in points scored (1st; 744) and total steals (20th; 82). The sophomore is fourth in the SEC in steals, and her 2.93 steals per game ranks fourth in the league.
The six-time All-American picked up where she left off after a historic freshman season at Vanderbilt. The 2024-25 USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year leads the country in scoring, as Blakes is putting 26.6 points per game this season. The guard has scored 30-plus points in an NCAA-leading 10 contests, while she has eclipsed the 25-point plateau in 18 games.
Blakes has twice been named AP National Player of the Week in 2025-26 and was the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week earlier this season. The guard has been on the NCAA Starting 5 and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week on three occasions. The sophomore has also been named the SEC Player of the Week a school-record five times this season.
Blakes’ efforts have helped Vanderbilt get off to its best start in school history, as the Commodores stand at 25-3 and 11-3 in the SEC entering the week. The Dores opened the 2025-26 season with 20-straight wins to set the school record for longest winning streak. Vanderbilt has returned to the top five in both the Associated Press top 25 (No. 5) and the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll (No. 5) for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
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