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Mikayla Blakes

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Mikayla Blakes
Blakes with Vanderbilt in 2025
No. 1 – Vanderbilt Commodores
PositionGuard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2005-12-29) December 29, 2005 (age 19)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Career information
High schoolRutgers Prep
(Somerset, New Jersey)
CollegeVanderbilt (2024–present)
Career highlights
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal – first place 2025 Chile

Mikayla Blakes (born December 29, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

High school career

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Blakes played basketball for Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, New Jersey. She helped her team reach three straight New Jersey Non-Public B state finals, winning the title as a sophomore, and was twice named Courier News Player of the Year.[1] In her senior season, Blakes was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game.[2] Rated a five-star recruit and the number 8 player in her class by ESPN,[3] she committed to play college basketball for Vanderbilt over offers from Indiana, Rutgers, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA, and Wisconsin.[4]

College career

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On January 2, 2025, Blakes scored 36 points in a 108–82 victory over Georgia, setting a new Vanderbilt single-game record for points by a freshman.[5] On January 19, she scored 23 points and made the game-winning shot in a 71–70 win over Tennessee.[6] On January 30, Blakes set single-game scoring records for both the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Vanderbilt, with 53 points in a 99–86 victory over Florida. She had the most points in a game by an NCAA Division I freshman since Elena Delle Donne of Delaware in 2010.[7] On February 16, Blakes broke the Division I freshman single-game scoring record, previously held by Delle Donne, with 55 points in a 98–88 overtime win over Auburn. She shot 23-of-24 from the free throw line and led a 15-point comeback.[8]

Blakes was awarded the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year by USBWA for the 2024-2025 season.[9]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage
 FT%  Free throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high  *  Led Division I

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2024–25 Vanderbilt 33 32 32.2 .456 .342 .885 3.4 3.2 2.4 .2 2.9 23.3

Personal life

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Blakes' father, Monroe, played college basketball for Saint Michael's in the NCAA Division II and was inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame. Her older brother, Jaylen, played college basketball for Duke before transferring to Stanford.[10]

In April 2025, Blakes was invited to Kelsey Plum's Dawg Class, an Under Armour-sponsored camp to help top college athletes transition from collegiate to professional basketball.[11]

References

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  1. ^ Pincus, Simeon (March 19, 2024). "Girls basketball: Rutgers Prep's Mikayla Blakes is the Courier News Player of the Year". Courier News. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  2. ^ Gerson, Aria (January 23, 2024). "Vanderbilt women's basketball 5-star commit Mikayla Blakes named McDonald's All-American". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  3. ^ "Mikayla Blakes 2024 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  4. ^ Goodman, Talia (January 23, 2024). "Vanderbilt lands five-star commitment in Mikayla Blakes". The Next. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "Blakes goes off for 36 in Vanderbilt's win over Georgia". Southeastern Conference. January 2, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  6. ^ "Mikayla Blakes' tip-in at buzzer lifts Vanderbilt women to 71-70 upset over No. 15 Tennessee". Associated Press. January 19, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  7. ^ "Mikayla Blakes scores SEC-record 53 points in Vanderbilt's win". ESPN. January 30, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  8. ^ Anderson, Kari (February 16, 2025). "Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes drops 55 points in OT win over Auburn, breaking NCAA freshman record". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  9. ^ "Vanderbilt's Blakes wins 2024-25 Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Year Award". usbwa.com. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  10. ^ Raynor, Grace (January 23, 2025). "The buzzer-beating Blakes siblings: Jaylen and Mikayla hit game-winners on the same weekend". The Athletic. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  11. ^ "WNBA Star Kelsey Plum Drops 2025 Dawg Class Roster". Just Women’s Sports. April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
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