A packed Coleman Coliseum roars in a tied up Sunday afternoon matchup between the home Alabama Crimson Tide and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Suddenly, a player drives through contact and sinks the shot. The referees will count it for one more and the crowd goes…silent?
Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes just put her team back in front with under two minutes left to play in the ball game. But the thing is, she’s been doing that all season. The Commodores got a 66-64 win on the road against the No. 19 Crimson Tide on Sunday, Jan. 26, for the program’s first win over Alabama since 2017. Blakes put up her 13th 20 plus point performance of the season, scoring 33, just shy of her career high of 36.
“She’s just a baller, she wants to make plays, she’s fearless, it was impressive as far as how much she wanted the basketball in her hands,” said Alabama Head Coach Kristy Curry after the game. Blakes was ranked as the #8 player in the class of 2024 according to ESPNW, the highest ranked recruit Vanderbilt has ever signed.
Despite being one of the most highly recruited players in the country, Blakes knew what she wanted and stayed true to her values. Her decision reminds us that the recruiting process looks different for everyone, along with the importance of truly understanding what you value in a college athletic environment before you commit to your school.
Big Time Players, Big Time Plays
Coming into the season, Blakes “really just wanted to come in here and compete, be the best teammate I can be for my team. Whatever they needed me to do, I was gonna do that,” she told us. Many top programs in the country were looking for a player like Blakes who would show up and make plays for their team in big moments.
And she was more than ready to be that player for her team. On Jan. 19, Blakes hit a game winner over No. 15 Tennessee to knock off the Volunteers 71-70, giving the Commodores their first home win over Tennessee since 2014. She has been putting the country on notice all season, leading all NCAA freshmen in scoring – but this particular game and shot earned her a Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week honor from the US Basketball Writers Association. Blakes is rising above and beyond the expectations, and she’s just getting started.
“Remember, it’s your time, you’re not on the coach's time, you’re on your own time.”
Anchor Down
So how did Blakes end up in Nashville? Well, the 2024 McDonald’s All-American chose Vanderbilt over Indiana, UCLA, Stanford and Tennessee. Vanderbilt is not typically regarded as a “women’s basketball powerhouse” among the likes of South Carolina, UConn, and Tennessee, but Blakes knew that she was a Commodore.
“I really just wanted to go somewhere where it felt like I can go in the coaches’ office anytime I want and they were really gonna take care of me,” Blakes says. Even though her recruiting process was stressful at times, Blakes knew that she was looking for a team and school that felt like a family. Additionally, the freshman is majoring in Medicine, Health and Society, so she was also looking for a strong, academically-focused school. Because, as she explains, “the ball’s gonna stop bouncing one day.”
Vanderbilt is traditionally regarded as a strong academically-minded school, but their athletic programs have been on the come up with recent investments by the university. To make their recruiting efforts even stronger, Vanderbilt opened their brand-new Huber Center in late January, a cutting-edge basketball-specific facility, demonstrating their commitment to growing their athletic teams.
Remember Your Worth
It’s important to remind yourself of your own value during the college recruitment process, as Blakes explains. “Remember, it’s your time, you’re not on the coaches’ time, you’re on your own time,” she says. This is a great lesson to remember because it can be easy to forget what you’re actually looking for during this process when there’s outside voices trying to influence you one way or another. Whether it’s parents, other coaches, teammates, or friends, it’s important to figure out what you want – full stop.
Blakes obviously made the right decision, and she has big expectations for her next few years as a Commodore. She wants to compete for championships, but Vanderbilt women’s basketball hasn’t reached the Final Four since 1993 – the only Commodore team to ever do so. “I wanted to come somewhere where it maybe hasn’t been done in a couple of years so I’m able to make history,” Blakes says. Big things are happening in Nashville this season, so be on the lookout for Blakes and the Commodores as March approaches.
