High Expectations – Vanderbilt Commodores

Women's basketball opens a campaign with a consensus top-10 preseason ranking for the first time since 2001-02
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Preseason prognosticators project the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team to have another strong campaign in 2026-27, as the Commodores are ranked No. 8 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 9 in the USA TODAY/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Preseason Poll.
Vanderbilt enters the 2026-27 campaign with a top-10 ranking in both major women’s basketball polls for the first time since 2001-02, opening at No. 3 that season. It is also the first time since 2002-03 that the Dores have held a top-10 preseason ranking in either poll, as they were No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/WBCA Coaches Poll to begin that season.
The 2026-27 preseason rankings extend Vanderbilt’s streak of consecutive appearances in the AP Top 25 and the USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches Poll to 22 polls, after the Commodores were featured in the top 25 in every poll last season. It is the longest stretch for Vandy since appearing in 34 straight polls from Feb. 11, 2008, to Jan. 4, 2019.
Vandy ended the 2025-26 season ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 and No. 8 in the USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches Poll after a 29-5 campaign in which the Commodores advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008-09. It marked the first time since 2001-02 that Vanderbilt ended a season as a consensus top-10 team.
The Commodores enter Season 6 under head coach Shea Ralph with high expectations for the 2026-27 campaign and an experienced roster. The reigning national coach of the year returns SEC player of the year Mikayla Blakes, a consensus first-team All-American, along with 2025-26 SEC freshman of the year Aubrey Galvan. Blakes was recently named the preseason SEC player of the year by the league’s media and USA TODAY Sports. She was also selected to the preseason All-SEC first team by both publications.
Along with Blakes and Galvan, the Commodores have seven players returning from last season’s roster. Vanderbilt added two high-level NCAA Division I transfers in Mia Woolfolk and Vernell Atamah. Ralph also signed the highest-rated freshman class of her tenure at Vanderbilt. The incoming freshmen Jhai Johnson, Olivia Jones and Sther Ubaka were ranked No. 11 by ESPN and No. 16 by 247 Sports.
The 2026-27 season gets underway on 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 will stream live 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.

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