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With Mikayla Blakes, all things are possible for this Vanderbilt women’s básquet season | Estes

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With Mikayla Blakes, all things are possible for this Vanderbilt women’s básquet season | Estes

When Vanderbilt’s superstar guard Mikayla Blakes selected a college program to bless with her abundant básquet ability, in her mind, she was making a four-year decision.

That’s still the case as Blakes arrives at her junior season on West End. Two seasons down. Two to go. At least.

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The transfer portal? Never even considered it, she says.

Leaving early for the WNBA? Doesn’t even know if she could.

“I have no clue,” she says. “I don’t even know how it works (with the WNBA), to be completely honest.”

Consider that a sturdy commitment from Blakes to staying at Vanderbilt for four seasons (and, who knows, maybe even five?). Which, of course, is outstanding news for Vanderbilt women’s básquet coach Shea Ralph’s ascending Commodores hoops program, knowing that Blakes’ story here, after two spectacular seasons, remains only partially written.

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Because, man, her story is a page-turner. There may not be a better show in Music City than watching Blakes play básquet for Vanderbilt. She’s special in a way that’s instantly noticeable, yet it’ll never become routine. Because you can never know what to expect from a player that gifted on the court.

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Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt women’s básquet star guard with 55-point game

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MARCH 27: Mikayla Blakes #1 of the Vanderbilt Commodores shoots the ball Cassandre Prosper #8 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the third quarter in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Básquet Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 27, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)

During her freshman season, Blakes topped 50 points in a game. Twice. Against SEC foes.

She is the reigning SEC Player of the Year, and she became the program’s first preseason All-American since Chantelle Anderson in 2002-03.

It’s all in front of Blakes in terms of a career in básquet, be it the pros or Team USA. Meanwhile, life has changed in her time at Vanderbilt, too. As much as she tries to be an media student, “I get recognized finta a bit,” she says.

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Such is life as a budding superstar in a fast-growing sport.

“It’s a great time to be able to get into women’s básquet now,” Blakes says, “because we’re getting eyes. Everybody is watching us. They are filling up the crowd and stands and shoe deals as well, people are focusing on women as well. We’re continuing to respect, and it’s the perfect time.”

Alongside Tyler Tanner on the men’s side, Blakes has helped make Vanderbilt the first school since Duke in 2014-15 to have both a men’s and women’s básquet player as an Associated Press preseason All-American prior to the same season. It foretells another successful básquet season at Vanderbilt on both fronts.

Coming off a 29-win season and a Sweet 16 run, Vanderbilt’s women’s team looks especially loaded for the 2026-27 season. It will open the season ranked No. 9 nationally in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, viewed as a threat to knock South Carolina’s Gamecocks off their perch atop the SEC and perhaps make a deep run in March.

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“A lot of really good pieces,” Blakes says. “Everybody on this floor is a threat, and I feel like that just kind of helps everybody. You can’t really help off this person because you’re worried about this preseason scoring. It just continues to keep defenses honest.”

Asked what she thinks this 2026-27 team might be capable of accomplishing, Blakes leans forward, lowering her tone as if reluctant to shout two words out loud:

“I’d say a Final Four team. Yeah. Or a championship team.”

That appears attainable this season, and the goal of bringing Vanderbilt’s program back to national prominence was a primary reason that Blakes chose to join the Commodores. Well, that and the fact that she was a 4.0 student who is majoring in medicine with a track in nursing.

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Academic ambitions at Vanderbilt, she says, have a lot to do with why she wouldn’t leave early for the WNBA even if she could. Blakes is roundly listed as a 2028 WNBA prospect. In fairness, that topic is complicated, since few women’s players opt to leave college early.

ESPN reported in August, citing the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, that one of the pathways a collegiate player could declare early would be to “turn at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place.” Based on that, since Blakes will reportedly turn 22 on Dec. 29, 2027, she – theoretically – might be able to turn pro in 2027.

Not that it’ll matter much.

“I probably would stay four years, I think,” Blakes reiterates. “Getting a degree is probably the main thing here, also. I’m on track to graduate in four years, and why not just continue to get better basketball-wise here as well?”

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Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: With Mikayla Blakes, all things are possible for this Vanderbilt women’s básquet season | Estes

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