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No. 19 Vanderbilt, debuting in Paris against a feisty Cal team, escaped France with a 74-65 win.
While they may not have moved the needle as a cohesive unit, they reminded the nation why they’re worthy of a top 25 ranking: Mikayla Blakes. A third-team AP All-American last season, Blakes may be the most interesting guard to watch in the country.
Last season, it felt like Blakes was the epitome of “high-volume,” as she finished top 20 in the country in both field goal attempts and free throw attempts. Blakes and her teammate Khamil Pierre both averaged over 20 points per game, masquerading as one of the most dangerous scoring duo’s in the country despite a mild-mannered 8-8 SEC record.
Pierre bailed on Vandy this season, taking her scoring prowess to the NC State Wolfpack. Thus, Blakes inherited an opportunity to take on more volume. Monday’s Paris showcase confirmed that suspicion. Blakes took 27 shots, dwarfing her previous 16.6 per game mark. She only connected on a third of her attempts, but she made up for inefficiencies with 10 tries from the charity stripe. Perhaps most remarkably, Blakes played all 40 minutes of the game.
It’s far too early to explore the “shot-chucker” vs. “high-impact star” debate with Blakes, but the urge is certainly there. Efficiency almost will always have a negative relationship with volume. You can’t expect high-volume players to match the efficiency of those who fit into a narrower role. Their looks aren’t as clean, they attract better defenders and more help, so on and so forth. Teams also need high-volume creators. As admirable as they seem, score-by-committee offenses rarely work.
Blakes’ downhill aggression was a welcome sight. About 40 percent of her looks last season came from 3, which is no true issue, but it limits the amount that she can create for teammates. Facilitation won’t be a fun gadget in Blakes’ game this year, but, instead, it will be a necessity for Vanderbilt’s success. If Blakes is able to punch the ball inside the paint, her chances to spray it out to teammates will start to manifest.
She wasn’t able to make a notable mark in the passing game on Monday, only finding one teammate for a single assist. (I don’t have a number for her potential assists, but it didn’t seem like it was that high either.) Blakes will not shoot 27 shots in all of her games, but her volume will absolutely force defenses to make her pass. She will need to get better at creating advantages with her teammates in mind.
As for her chances at a higher All-American nod compared to last year, that may be woven into Vanderbilt’s successes. Ta’Niya Latson is an apt point of reference. The former Florida State Seminole led the country in scoring last year at eerily similar efficiency splits to Blakes. Latson ended 2024-25 shooting 45/34/82, while Blakes shot 45/34/88. Latson manned a lower end top-25 FSU team, which peaked at No. 22 during the season. FSU started last season ranked 19th; the exact preseason ranking of this year’s Vanderbilt team. Despite leading the country in points per game, Latson was only recognized as a second-team All-American, likely due to a lack of exceptional team success. The women’s basketball world will always hold wins at a paramount value. If Blakes wants a reputation as the best guard in America, that’s where she will find it.
With apologies to Vanderbilt fans, it’s also hard not to picture Blakes’ Nashville tenure as a ticking clock. If she empties her personal tank into a team without seeing real March Madness potential, who could blame her for exploring her options in the transfer portal next season? Loyalty is an increasingly rare trait amongst mid-tier Power 4 scorers. Moving to a perennial contender—like Latson, now a South Carolina Gamecock, did this offseason—will be the most realistic route for Blakes if she wants to leave college with a trophy, in addition to maximizing her WNBA Draft stock.
If Blakes stays a Commodore for four full seasons, more power to her. For now, we get to watch the lengths of college basketball’s ultimate green light.
