dailyloe.com – Vanderbilt sophomore Mikayla Blakes won the 2026 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award on Saturday. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced the honor. This award recognizes the nation’s top women’s college basketball shooting guard.
Blakes becomes the first Vanderbilt player to win a Naismith Hall of Fame Starting 5 award. She is the eighth player to receive the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award since its 2018 inception. The award is named for the pioneering UCLA Hall of Famer.
A selection committee of media, coaches, and Hall of Famers chose Blakes. She led NCAA Division I in scoring this season with 27.0 points per game. That average also set a new Vanderbilt single-season scoring record.
Her 918 total points set an SEC single-season scoring record. It also established the NCAA’s all-time sophomore scoring record. She added 4.5 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
Blakes recorded 13 games with 30 or more points this season. That total led the nation for the 2025-26 campaign. It is also the most 30-point games by an SEC player this century.
The guard has earned numerous postseason accolades. She was named a first-team All-American by seven major organizations. These include the WBCA, Associated Press, and ESPN.
Blakes was also named the 2025-26 SEC Player of the Year. Her historic season has brought significant recognition to Vanderbilt’s program. The award solidifies her status as an elite collegiate player.[]
Source: Vanderbilt University Athletics
