Vanderbilt Commodores guard Mikayla Blakes is now in a league of her own when it comes to second-year players in women’s college basketball history.
On Tuesday, March 24, Blakes and the rest of coach Shea Ralph’s Commodores team defeated coach Shauna Green’s Illinois Fighting Illini 75-57 in the second round of the 2026 national tournament.
Playing in front of her home fans at the Memorial Gymnasium (TN) in Nashville, Tennessee, Blakes bedazzled the crowd, finishing with a game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and four steals in around 38 minutes of playing time.
In a post by @brwsports on Instagram, it was revealed that Blakes has surpassed the likes of former college legends Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers with the sophomore scoring record.
“Mikayla now holds the NCAA Sophomore Scoring Title 🙌 She finished with 25 PTS, 10 REB and 9 AST in Vandy’s win over Illinois,” @brwsports on Instagram captioned with an emoji.
With Blakes surpassing current WNBA superstars such as Clark and Bueckers with her accomplishments, she had another thing to celebrate. The Commodores ended up beating the Illinois-based program by 18 points, 75-57, and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
Mikayla Blakes Had No Idea She Hadd Become The NCAA Sophomore Scoring Record Holder
During the post-game press conference of the Vanderbilt Commodores’ second-round win of the 2026 March Madness, Mikayla Blakes was asked how it feels to achieve another record in the ongoing season.
Blakes revealed that she had no idea about the NCAA sophomore scoring record. She credited her coaching staff and teammates for the achievement.
“Yeah, thank you for telling me. I mean it’s just exciting like to be able to do it in Memorial, have my family in the stands, be around my coaches, my teammates as well. I mean, they’re the reason why I’m able to do the things I can, and without them, I wouldn’t be here. So, it’s a great thing. I love it, and I mean I’m thankful for the people around me,” Blakes said (4:26).
Read More: Sarah Strong or Mikayla Blakes? Candace Parker And Aliyah Boston Pick Their National Player of the Year
Also Read: Mikayla Blakes And Liv McGill Break NCAA Record Ahead of Sarah Strong, Joyce Edwards, Toby Fournier And More
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