Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball Mailbag: Eyes on the prize – The Vanderbilt Hustler

Top 10 love songs of all time
Early decision acceptance rate down to 11.9% for Class of 2030
UPDATED: VUMC cancels all scheduled gender-affirming surgeries
Vanderbilt launches investigation into math lecturer’s alleged anti-Israel course materials
Men’s Basketball: Three takeaways from Vanderbilt’s loss to Tennessee
Epstein files mention Vanderbilt professors, former chancellor
WU: Lessons from Vanderbilt’s human radiation experiments
LEE: Why I’m breaking up with you
VUMC anesthesiologist charged with 15 counts of sexual exploitation
MARLOWE: The most radical thing about ‘Heated Rivalry’ isn’t the sex
Basketball is finally back on West End. After a long offseason, in which head coach Shea Ralph brought in two new transfers, Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball fans are once again instilled with hope as a new season arrives. The Commodores successfully made it to the NCAA Tournament in the 2024-25 season, earning a No. 7 seed after going 22-11 (8-8 SEC) on the season. However, Vanderbilt was upset by the No. 10 seed Oregon Ducks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of fans and players. 
Ralph and her squad kick off the 2025-26 season at the Oui-Play Paris on Nov. 3 as they take on Cal. But what are the expectations for this team before the season begins? The Hustler’s staff took a look at some of the most pressing questions facing the Commodores as they begin the new season. 
David Hernandez, Deputy Sports Editor: This may sound odd given her incredible freshman season, but Mikayla Blakes should take an even greater leap this year. Blakes’ stat line in 2024-25 was one of the most impressive in recent Commodore memory — she averaged 23.3 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists en route to multiple All-American honors. If Blakes’ offseason gold medal at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and her 40-point performance against Memphis in an exhibition showed anything, it was that she may take another huge step forward as a sophomore. While players like Hannah Hidalgo and Ta’Niya Latson have gotten more preseason attention, Blakes will be a serious contender for the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year award come March. 
Henry Oelhafen, Sports Editor: Given Blakes has already been mentioned, I’ll pick another player I expect to be a leading force on Ralph’s squad: Sacha Washington. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native missed the entire 2024-25 season with a blood clot in her leg, but the graduate student is back now and looks to be a key piece to Ralph’s lineup. With the departure of Khamil Pierre this offseason to NC State, Washington should be a leader for Vanderbilt’s frontcourt this season. She dropped 22 points in Vanderbilt’s exhibition with Memphis, showing that she’s back to full health and is ready to make a big impact. Washington averaged 12.9 points per game in her junior season (2023-24) with the ‘Dores, but I expect that number to jump this year.  
Eli Landers, Lead Sports Analyst: Aiyana Mitchell was at the bottom of Ralph’s rotation last year, playing just 11.3 minutes per night. In this limited time, though, Mitchell proved herself to be one of the best defenders and led the team with 21 blocks on the season. The junior from Colorado has a solid post-game and is an efficient scorer around the hoop, making 54.1 percent of her shots last year. Following the departure of forward Pierre, expect Ralph to call on Mitchell for her size and presence in the paint on both sides of the ball. Mitchell will be one of the key pieces of Vanderbilt’s front court in 2025-26. 
Dylan Tovitz, Deputy Sports Editor: Sky-high is the phrase I’d use to describe the expectations for Ralph as she enters her fifth season at the helm of Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball. After guiding the Commodores to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in over a decade, Ralph has firmly re-established the program as an SEC contender. Fresh off of winning SEC Freshman of the Year last season, Blakes returns as the ninth-best player in the country, according to ESPN. Washington’s return from injury and the emergence of freshman Aubrey Galvan sets up a solid supporting cast around Blakes — though the departure of Pierre will be hard to fill. While the SEC is competitive as ever, there’s no reason to think that this can’t be the year that Ralph breaks the Commodores past the NCAA first round for the first time since 2013.  
Tristan Rutman, Sports Podcast Producer: Expectations are high for Ralph and Co. heading into the upcoming season. Last year, the team was seeded at No. 7 in the Birmingham Regional in the NCAA Tournament and fell short in an overtime loss to Oregon. Coming off a disappointing finish, Ralph will have her unit fired up and ready to shock the rest of the SEC, where Vanderbilt was predicted to finish as a middle-of-the-pack squad. The AP poll voters gave the Commodores some more respect, as they came in at No. 19 in the preseason top 25. Vanderbilt should live up to this standard and nab a 4- or 5-seed by the time the bracket is created in March. I’d expect this team to make it out of the first round this year, likely making it even further to a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 under Ralph’s leadership. 
Rhea Patney, Senior Adviser: What concerns me the most about this team — much like last year’s — is the lack of a consistent third scoring option. Elite teams typically have three reliable scorers. Blakes should pick up right where she left off last season (23.3 ppg), and the return of Washington should replace Pierre’s production. But who will be the third? Last month, I would have said Madison Greene, but her season-ending knee injury changes things. Iyana Moore filled that role at times but struggled with consistency last season. Justine Pissott and Mitchell also showed flashes but never sustained it. Perhaps graduate transfer Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda or first-year Galvan will pick up the slack.  
Hernandez: What concerns me the most is who will step up when Blakes struggles, especially in conference and postseason play. Blakes is one of the best players in the country, but without Pierre, I wonder who will take charge when Blakes is in a rut. Vanderbilt went 7-6 overall and 1-5 in the SEC when Blakes scored 20 points or less last season. It was clear that when Blakes had a slow start or was struggling to find a rhythm, the entire team couldn’t get it going either. This team has the potential to be great, and regardless of Blakes’ stardom, the Commodores shouldn’t put all of the pressure to succeed on her back. Blakes will be targeted more than ever by opposing defenses, and multiple members of this supporting cast should be prepared to step up. 
Rutman: Following Pierre’s departure from the program, Washington will have big shoes to fill as the expected power forward on this team. Although she was diagnosed with a blood clot in her leg that kept her off the court for the entirety of last season, Washington looks to return to the hardwood without missing a beat. The 6’2 forward led the team in rebounds in 2023-24 and was second on the team in points, averaging 12.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. The Georgia native plays much taller than her listed height and served as a foundational piece of Vanderbilt’s defense two seasons ago, totaling 44 blocks. She will need to repeat that production if Vanderbilt wishes to repeat its same level of success from last season. Whether or not Washington will be able to return to her impressive form remains to be seen, making her the clear X-factor heading into the 2025-26 season. 
Patney: I believe Justine Pissott is poised to be an X-factor this year. In Vanderbilt’s exhibition game against Memphis, Pissott appeared to be dialed in from the opening tipoff. She drained two 3-pointers in the first seven minutes, playing 36:04 minutes total (highest on the team), and finished with a double-double. Pissott has seen her role shift multiple times during her time at Vanderbilt. In her sophomore season, she appeared in 33 games, made 28 starts and was second on the team with 52 made 3-pointers. Her junior season, she saw a more limited role, playing in 23 games off the bench while averaging 3.6 points per game. Her veteran presence along with her experience in different roles makes her poised to give the team what it needs at any given moment. Pissott has been known to struggle on defense, but if she can improve in that aspect, her impact will be felt this year.  
Landers: I expect the new transfer and freshman additions to be pivotal to Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball’s success this year. Transfer Aalyah Del Rosario from LSU will be the team’s only true center. A former five-star recruit, Del Rosario will provide key size and rebounding for Ralph’s squad. Coming over from Texas, Mwenentanda will play a versatile role, especially on defense, where she is athletic enough to guard multiple positions. Last year, Vanderbilt fans were spoiled by the remarkable play of then-first-year Blakes, but I think the team’s freshmen this year will play less of a role, at least at first. However, Ava Black and Monique Williams will play key minutes off the bench as they develop within Ralph’s system. Expect their playing time to increase as the year goes on. 
Oelhafen: Since the two transfers have already been addressed, I’d like to focus on Galvan. The Deerfield, Illinois, native was the top-ranked point guard in the state and a consensus four-star recruit. Ralph has already raved in press conferences about Galvan’s ability to distribute the ball at a high level and shoot from beyond the arc. Combined with Blakes, the duo could form one of the better backcourts in the SEC. Standing at 5’6, Galvan is a true point guard, and she’ll be a solid distributor and game manager.  
Grace Hall, Deputy Sports Editor: I think the starting lineup — at least to start the season — will look similar to what Ralph put forward in the exhibition game, with Galvan, Blakes, Pissott, Mwenentanda and Washington making the start. Pissott is the most intriguing of the starters here; after being a consistent contributor two seasons ago, she faded out of the starting lineup last season. I think her potential to remain in the starting lineup will come down to her defense and her shooting consistency. I am skeptical about the size of this lineup, though, especially once SEC play begins. Players like Del Rosario will need to get quality minutes early on in the season, so when conference play demands her size, she is ready to go.  
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University
Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *

source