For the first time in over a decade, the Vanderbilt Commodores are headed back to the Sweet-16. And head coach Shea Ralph is at the helm. 

Ralph took the head coaching position at Vanderbilt in 2021 after spending 13 seasons as an assistant coach for the UConn Huskies. 

This season, her Commodores were one of the last two undefeated teams left in women’s DI basketball this year… alongside the very program she left. 

This season has been an unforgettable one for Vanderbilt. Led by phenom Mikayla Blakes, the Commodores 20-0 start was the best opening stretch in school history, quickly turning heads in the women’s college basketball community. 

In 2021, when Ralph first stepped on campus, the Commodores were in a tough spot. Now, after five years of building a team on trust, Ralph is proving her mettle as a head coach.

Ralph not only coached for UConn under Geno Auriemma, she also played for him.  That experience translates to the way she runs her program now.

 It’s more than a game at Vanderbilt. It’s about creating a culture of respect and passion. Ralph and her coaching staff believe that what they do—whether it’s recruiting, coaching, or supporting athltes—is bigger than basketball. 

“I'm going to try not to get emotional, either, but [Ralph] is a woman who cares more about you than a basketball player. This past year I did struggle a little bit, just feeling I didn't have a break. She's the first person to reach out to me. She knows. She goes, I know you're not going to tell me, but I see you're struggling. What can I do to help you, things like that,” sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes said about Ralph. 

“I couldn't ask for a better head coach, better mentor, better role model. This is a human being you want in your life, and she's like a second mother figure to me.”

Mikayla Blakes

Vanderbilt's program is built with athletes who believe in the potential from Ralph and the staff. Athletes like sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes. 

 The seven-time SEC Freshman of the Week wanted to go to a school where she could create her own legacy—and she saw that potential in Vanderbilt. 

“I feel like this year [Ralph] brought joy back to basketball for me. It was something I was struggling with a lot, but I couldn't ask for a better head coach, better mentor, better role model. This is a human being you want in your life, and she's like a second mother figure to me, which is why my mom was 100 percent full ride, like let's go to Vanderbilt, play under Coach Ralph,” Blakes said 

That connection is how teams come together and win. That’s the momentum that Blake sees for the future of the Commodores.  

“This is what I came here to do, and to continue to do it, not just stop here, but for the upcoming years as well to be able to compete for championships," Blakes said. "I feel like this is a step in the right direction for this program.”

Vanderbilt earned the No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament and now find themselves alongside powerhouse programs like UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas. Vanderbilt will face Notre Dame March 27th in Fort Worth, TX, for a chance to advance to the Elite 8. 

And leading the charge will be Shea Ralph, building a new legacy for the Commodores.