Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes Secures Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award

On April 4, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes earned the Ann Meyers Drysdale award for the nation’s top shooting guard. She is the first player in Vanderbilt history to receive the prize since its 2018 inception.

Season performance and statistics

Blakes led the nation in 2025-26 with 27.0 points per game. She added 4.5 assists and 2.9 steals per contest. She produced 13 games of 30 points or more and set Vanderbilt’s single-season scoring record.

Team impact and postseason

Her scoring helped Vanderbilt reach the Sweet 16. It was the program’s first trip since 2009. She also participated in a Team USA Basketball training camp in Phoenix, the site of the Women’s Final Four.

Accolades and national recognition

Blakes was a unanimous first-team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year. She was a finalist for several national player of the year awards. She made final lists for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award, with the Naismith going to UConn’s Sarah Strong.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for Filmogaz.com. She reported details on Blakes’s season and national recognition.