Memorial Gym lit up on Sunday afternoon when Vanderbilt University took down LSU in a win that defines a new era of women’s basketball on campus.
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes’ dominant 32-point, 40-minute performance helped take down the Tigers, who arrived in Nashville with a No. 5 ranking and won the 2023 NCAA championship. Vandy freshman Aubrey Galvan shot clutch three-pointers down the stretch, and super senior Sacha Washington notched a big block and secured a late-game rebound to help ice the game, which quickly earned the team the No. 7 spot in the country.
Vanderbilt is now the only team in the country with undefeated men’s and women’s basketball programs, a testament to two relatively new coaches and the school’s successful transition into the NIL era.
Commodore programs are at a combined 18-0, led by stars Mikayla Blakes and Duke Miles
Women’s coach Shea Ralph, now in her fourth season, has taken the team from SEC afterthought to national contender. Big recruits like Blakes and Galvan have helped. Others, like Washington and senior guard Jada Brown, have been in the locker room the whole time.
“Man, I had a good time today,” Ralph told the media at a post-game press conference. “This is part of a journey — it’s the next step — and I’m enjoying every part of it. There will be hard days too. We’ve had a lot of them. This team in particular has had a lot of hard days. So when we have great days, I want them to enjoy it, and celebrate it.”
Despite being out-rebounded by LSU, scrappy defense helped Vanderbilt generate turnovers and limit stars Milaysia Fulwiley and Flau'jae Johnson, both leading WNBA prospects. The Dores' well-rounded roster has only gotten sharper with the surprise departure of last year's stars Khamil Pierre and Iyana Moore, both of whom transferred to other top programs.
SEC play continues for both undefeated Vanderbilt teams through March, when the programs hope to earn a top seed in the conference tournament and eventually tickets to the March Madness brackets. On the women’s side, a Jan. 19 showcase game against No. 9 Michigan looms, as well as a matchup with No. 6 Kentucky. But Ralph is likely preaching the equal importance of every single game — Vanderbilt has unranked Missouri, Texas A&M and Mississippi State up next.
Local star Tyler Tanner has helped lead the men’s program to a 14-0 start. The Commodores — alternatively ranked 10 and 11 by the sport’s two competing polls — proved their worth in December with an overtime win against powerhouse Memphis. On Wednesday, the team hosts conference rival Alabama, a team paired with Vanderbilt as the SEC’s leading Final Four contenders in this year’s NCAA tournament.
Bracketology is not a science, and there’s plenty of season left. For now, skim the Dores’ schedules for tickets to a historic show on West End.
