Family fuels Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes’ rise into Women's NCAA Tournament
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Family fuels Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes’ rise into Women's NCAA Tournament
Lily Grace Kilgore, Special to USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
·
2 min read
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes is more than just a baller. She's also a sister.
Blakes is the kind of sister her brother, Jaylen, proudly brags about often.
Jaylen, who played college basketball at Stanford, has watched her grow into the player she is today. Starting with pickup games at home in New Jersey to hitting game-winning shots on consecutive days while playing at Vanderbilt and Stanford.
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He pushed her to be the best from a young age, literally.
"It was very physical because I wouldn't like to be pushed around," Jaylen said. "Besides that, he's really like, who I look up to just training-wise and work ethic-wise."
Mikayla is breaking away from the competition in her sophomore season, tallying new accolades often. She was named first-team All-America by the Associate Press and is the 2025-26 SEC Player of the Year.
UConn's Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among the top players set to tipoff March Madness. Here's the best players in women's college basketball:
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
It's hard to believe Sarah Strong could top her record-breaking freshman season, but she's one-upped herself. Strong has career highs in points (18.5), assists (4.1), steals (3.4), field goal percentage (60.1%) and free throw percentage (87.3%). She leads UConn in nearly every statical category, including points, rebounds, steals and blocks. Expect Strong to have a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament. She set the freshmen points record in an NCAA Tournament (114) last season.
(Kamil Krzaczynski, -Imagn Images)
UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts' stats are slightly down from last season, but she's no less dominant. She leads UCLA in points (16.4), rebounds (8.6) and blocks (1.9) per game and has 11 double-doubles. Her efforts earned her Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, becoming the first player in Big Ten history to earn both in the same season.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker has reached new heights this season earning first-team All-SEC after recording career highs in points (18.9), steals (2.3) and field goal percentage (51.6%), which she raised from 46.1% last season. Booker leads the Longhorns in scoring and has been in double-digits for all but two games this season. She's only a junior, but she's already climbed to No. 6 on Texas' all-time scoring list with 1,873 points career points entering March Madness.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)
UConn Huskies senior guard Azzi is shooting lights out from the 3-point line. She's averaging a career-high 44.6% from beyond the arc and her 104 3-pointers rank second in the nation. Her field goal percentage (48.9%) also marks a career-high. Fudd has also helped anchor UConn's top-ranked scoring defense. She's one of three Huskies to have at least 85 steals this season, joining Sarah Strong (111) and KK Arnold (93). Fudd is also flirting with the 50-40-90 stat line — 50% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 90% from the free throw line.
(David Butler II, Imagn Images)
Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes was named the SEC Player of the Year after leading Vanderbilt to its first 27-win regular season in program history. Blakes leads the nation in scoring averaging 27.0 points per game, including 12 games of 30 or more points. Ten of those 12 games came in conference play. Blakes has recorded double-digit points in every game this season and is currently riding a 50 game double-digit scoring streak, the longest active streak in the SEC and third longest in NCAA Division I women's basketball. Blakes is the second Vanderbilt star to win SEC Player of the Year and the first sophomore since South Carolina's A'ja Wilson in 2016.
(Alan Poizner/For The Tennessean, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Olivia Miles' transfer from Notre Dame to TCU has been seamless if you look at her stat line. Miles is the centerpiece of the Horned Frogs' offense and has upped her scoring average from 15.4 points last season to a career-high 19.6 points. Miles tops the nation with five triple doubles and has done so efficiently, with career highs in field goal percentage (48.7) and free throw percentage (84.4%).
(Nick Tre. Smith, Imagn Images)
Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks ended the regular season with a bang, dropping 41 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas State — shooting an efficient 16-of-19 from the field. That marked Crooks' fourth 40-point game of the season and 12th double-double. Crooks has scored in double digits every game this season, extending her streak to 97 straight career games — the longest active streak in the nation. She became the fastest player in Big 12 history to reach 2,000 points on Jan. 28 and picked up an unanimous first-team All-Big 12 nod.
(Reese Strickland, Imagn Images)
Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge has arrived! The sophomore guard is in midst of a breakout season. She upped her points per game from 15.4 last season to 22.8, which ranks seventh in the nation. Her field-goal percentage also increased by nearly eight points to 49.0%. She's scored double-digit points in every game this season and became the 40th Buckeye to surpass 1,000 career points on Feb. 8 against Oregon. She's only the fifth Ohio State player to record 700 points in a season.
(Nick King/Lansing State Journal, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
South Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards has taken a large step this season. The 6-foot-3 forward slid into the starting lineup after senior forward Chloe Kitts was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury in her right knee. Edwards has powered South Carolina to the fourth-best scoring offense in the nation (86.3 points per game). She's averaging a team-high 19.6 points in 34 starts, up from 12.7 points and one start her freshman year. Her stat line is rounded out by 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
(Arden Barnes, Arden Barnes-Imagn Images)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo has been a walking highlight reel. Hidalgo turned in career highs in points, steals, rebounds, field-goal percentage and made ACC history by winning both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. Hidalgo set an NCAA record with 16 steals in a game and scored a school-record 44 points in Notre Dame's 85-58 win over Akron on Nov. 12. She leads the nation in total steals (173), which set a single-season ACC record.
(Brett Davis, Imagn Images)
1/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
UConn's Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among the top players set to tipoff March Madness. Here's the best players in women's college basketball:
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
1/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
UConn's Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are among the top players set to tipoff March Madness. Here's the best players in women's college basketball:
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
2/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
It's hard to believe Sarah Strong could top her record-breaking freshman season, but she's one-upped herself. Strong has career highs in points (18.5), assists (4.1), steals (3.4), field goal percentage (60.1%) and free throw percentage (87.3%). She leads UConn in nearly every statical category, including points, rebounds, steals and blocks. Expect Strong to have a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament. She set the freshmen points record in an NCAA Tournament (114) last season.
(Kamil Krzaczynski, -Imagn Images)
3/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts' stats are slightly down from last season, but she's no less dominant. She leads UCLA in points (16.4), rebounds (8.6) and blocks (1.9) per game and has 11 double-doubles. Her efforts earned her Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, becoming the first player in Big Ten history to earn both in the same season.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
4/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker has reached new heights this season earning first-team All-SEC after recording career highs in points (18.9), steals (2.3) and field goal percentage (51.6%), which she raised from 46.1% last season. Booker leads the Longhorns in scoring and has been in double-digits for all but two games this season. She's only a junior, but she's already climbed to No. 6 on Texas' all-time scoring list with 1,873 points career points entering March Madness.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)
5/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
UConn Huskies senior guard Azzi is shooting lights out from the 3-point line. She's averaging a career-high 44.6% from beyond the arc and her 104 3-pointers rank second in the nation. Her field goal percentage (48.9%) also marks a career-high. Fudd has also helped anchor UConn's top-ranked scoring defense. She's one of three Huskies to have at least 85 steals this season, joining Sarah Strong (111) and KK Arnold (93). Fudd is also flirting with the 50-40-90 stat line — 50% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 90% from the free throw line.
(David Butler II, Imagn Images)
6/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes was named the SEC Player of the Year after leading Vanderbilt to its first 27-win regular season in program history. Blakes leads the nation in scoring averaging 27.0 points per game, including 12 games of 30 or more points. Ten of those 12 games came in conference play. Blakes has recorded double-digit points in every game this season and is currently riding a 50 game double-digit scoring streak, the longest active streak in the SEC and third longest in NCAA Division I women's basketball. Blakes is the second Vanderbilt star to win SEC Player of the Year and the first sophomore since South Carolina's A'ja Wilson in 2016.
(Alan Poizner/For The Tennessean, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
7/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
Olivia Miles' transfer from Notre Dame to TCU has been seamless if you look at her stat line. Miles is the centerpiece of the Horned Frogs' offense and has upped her scoring average from 15.4 points last season to a career-high 19.6 points. Miles tops the nation with five triple doubles and has done so efficiently, with career highs in field goal percentage (48.7) and free throw percentage (84.4%).
(Nick Tre. Smith, Imagn Images)
8/11
Audi Crooks enters transfer portal after 3 seasons at Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks ended the regular season with a bang, dropping 41 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas State — shooting an efficient 16-of-19 from the field. That marked Crooks' fourth 40-point game of the season and 12th double-double. Crooks has scored in double digits every game this season, extending her streak to 97 straight career games — the longest active streak in the nation. She became the fastest player in Big 12 history to reach 2,000 points on Jan. 28 and picked up an unanimous first-team All-Big 12 nod.
(Reese Strickland, Imagn Images)
9/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge has arrived! The sophomore guard is in midst of a breakout season. She upped her points per game from 15.4 last season to 22.8, which ranks seventh in the nation. Her field-goal percentage also increased by nearly eight points to 49.0%. She's scored double-digit points in every game this season and became the 40th Buckeye to surpass 1,000 career points on Feb. 8 against Oregon. She's only the fifth Ohio State player to record 700 points in a season.
(Nick King/Lansing State Journal, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
10/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
South Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards has taken a large step this season. The 6-foot-3 forward slid into the starting lineup after senior forward Chloe Kitts was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury in her right knee. Edwards has powered South Carolina to the fourth-best scoring offense in the nation (86.3 points per game). She's averaging a team-high 19.6 points in 34 starts, up from 12.7 points and one start her freshman year. Her stat line is rounded out by 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
(Arden Barnes, Arden Barnes-Imagn Images)
11/11
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo has been a walking highlight reel. Hidalgo turned in career highs in points, steals, rebounds, field-goal percentage and made ACC history by winning both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. Hidalgo set an NCAA record with 16 steals in a game and scored a school-record 44 points in Notre Dame's 85-58 win over Akron on Nov. 12. She leads the nation in total steals (173), which set a single-season ACC record.
(Brett Davis, Imagn Images)
The duo reunited this season as Jaylen is home from playing professionally in Israel for Hapoel Galil Elyon while rehabbing a torn ACL in his knee.
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"This is going to be his first time watching me in the March Madness tournament," Mikayla said. "This year was his first year actually watching me play a game in person, but we're on the phone 24/7."
Her support system extends beyond her brother. Her parents have been in their corners throughout their whole college careers.
"They made a pact with us that at least one parent would be at each game," Mikayla said. "It's kind of full circle, and everybody's here for me today, so I'm just excited."
The constant support has helped shape Blakes into the player she is today.
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"The thing I learned from [Jaylen] is just to stay consistent and know who you truly are," Mikayla said. "You're going to go through ups and downs a lot of the time and rely on your family."
To most, Blakes is one of the SEC's biggest stars, but to her family, she is the sister and daughter they have supported every step of the way.
Lily Grace Kilgoreis a student in the University of Georgia's Carmical Sports Media Institute.
