Vanderbilt women’s basketball, including star players Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan, participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness of the disease in honor of former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson.
Johnson, 39, announced on June 29 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive disease of the nervous system that causes loss of motor function.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge first gained momentum on social media in 2014 and features individuals dumping buckets of ice water over their heads to raise awareness and money for ALS research.
The women’s basketball video featured nine of the 12 players on the roster, including reigning SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes and SEC Freshman of the Year Aubrey Galvan, participating at FirstBank Stadium. They challenged former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East and the Vanderbilt football team to complete the challenge after being challenged by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
The Commodores women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2026.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X @aria_gerson.
