The West End Sweep: Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball Makes SEC History

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The “Memorial Magic” of the 2025-26 season has officially culminated in a historic clean sweep of the Southeastern Conference’s top honors. As announced on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores have become just the sixth program in SEC history—and the first since 2014—to win Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year in the same season.

After a regular season that saw the Dores shatter program records and secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, the league’s coaches validated what Nashville fans have known all year: the balance of power in the SEC has shifted to West End.

The Triple Crown of SEC Awards

Award	Winner	Key Stat/Achievement
SEC Player of the Year	Mikayla Blakes (So., G)	27.1 PPG (1st in NCAA); 12 games with 30+ points.
SEC Freshman of the Year	Aubrey Galvan (Fr., G)	5.9 APG (Leads all NCAA freshmen); 81 steals.
SEC Coach of the Year	Shea Ralph	Program record: 27 wins; 16-0 undefeated home record.

The Superstar: Mikayla Blakes

Sophomore sensation Mikayla Blakes has authored one of the greatest individual seasons in conference history. By winning Player of the Year, she becomes only the second Commodore ever to earn the honor (joining Chantelle Anderson, 2002).

Historical Pace: Blakes became the first SEC player this century to average 30.5 points per game in conference play.
The Record Breaker: She set a new Vanderbilt record with six SEC Player of the Week selections this season.
Dual Threat: Blakes is now the 13th player in league history to have won both SEC Freshman of the Year (2025) and SEC Player of the Year (2026) during her career.

The Floor General: Aubrey Galvan

Freshman point guard Aubrey Galvan has been the engine behind Vanderbilt’s high-octane offense. Stepping into the starting role as a true freshman, she led all freshmen nationally in assists (178) and proved her scoring mettle with a 30-point outburst against Oklahoma in February. Galvan is the fourth Vanderbilt player to be named SEC Freshman of the Year.

The Architect: Shea Ralph

In her fifth season at the helm, Shea Ralph has officially returned Vanderbilt to the national elite. Ralph is the first coach in program history to be named SEC Coach of the Year. Under her leadership, the Commodores:

Achieved a 27-3 overall record, the most wins in a single regular season in school history.
Completed an undefeated 16-0 home schedule at Memorial Gymnasium.
Secured seven wins over Top 25 opponents.

What’s Next: The SEC Tournament

Vanderbilt enters the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C., as the No. 2 seed. They have earned a double-bye and will begin postseason play on Friday, March 6, at 5:00 p.m. CT.

The Commodores are currently projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, though a strong showing in Greenville could vault them to a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history.