Vanderbilt Freshman Wins More Weekly Awards: The Anchor, February 19, 2025
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Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes was named the AP Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second time this season on Tuesday, as well as earning the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week.
Earlier on Tuesday, Blakes was named the SEC Player and Freshman of the Week. This is also the second time in three weeks Blakes has earned the AP award. She’s the first Vanderbilt player to win both awards in the same week and the first SEC player since Candace Parker won both awards in 2006.
The Somerset, N.J. native averaged 34 points, 7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.5 steals last week in pair of overtime games against Auburn and Mississippi State.
The 55 points from Blakes was historic on many levels. She broke her own records that she set earlier this season against Florida (53 points). The 55 points is the ninth-most points ever scored in a NCAA women’s basketball game. Blakes is also the second player to have multiple 53-point games and first since Mississippi Valley State’s Patricia Hoskins scored 55 points twice in 1988-89.
Blakes and the Commodores will be back in action Thursday with a road trip to No. 16 Oklahoma. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+.
Today’s Commodores Schedule
Men’s Basketball: Vanderbilt at No. 7 Kentucky, 6 p.m., SEC Network
Women’s Lacrosse: Vanderbilt at Mercer, Noon
Swimming: Vanderbilt at SEC Championship Meet
Yesterday’s Commodores Results
Swimming: Vanderbilt at SEC Championship Meet, 8:30 a.m.
Baseball: No. 15 Vanderbilt 5, Air Force 2
Did You Notice?
- Vanderbilt swimming opened action at the SEC Championships on Tuesday with the 200-metter medley relay and 800 freestyle quarters setting their best times of the season.
Countdown to Vanderbilt’s 2025 Football Season Opener
193 days
Commodores Quote of the Day
“Sportsmanship should be the mortar of the athlete but never an entity in itself for conscious play.”Grantland Rice
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We’ll Leave You With This
.@VanderbiltU and @SOTennessee are excited to announce our bid to host the 2030 Special Olympics USA Games in #Nashville! We hope to welcome athletes and attendees from across the country to experience the warmth and energy that make Nashville truly one of a kind. pic.twitter.com/qVuHdLtFa6
— Vanderbilt Community Relations (@VanderbiltLocal) February 18, 2025
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Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.