Vanderbilt star Mikayla Blakes’ takeover of the world is just a matter of time
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — If you went by Mikayla Blakes’ reactions to plays Monday night at Memorial Gym, the Vanderbilt sophomore guard had a rough one. Her unrelenting focus on every second of the game broke only for the occasional scowl when a shot that normally falls didn’t, or a shake of the head when she dribbled one off her foot.
The actual Blakes results said something else: 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists — a couple of missed layups by teammates away from a triple-double — in a 75-57 win over Illinois to deliver Vanderbilt’s first Sweet 16 since 2009. And the performance exceeded the results. On what an outsider might call a pretty good night for her.
The shots weren’t falling early, but with Blakes, it’s better to start questions with “when” than “if. ” When will she figure out this opponent’s defensive game plan designed solely to slow her down? When will she take over this game?
When will she lead Vanderbilt to heights it hasn’t reached in nearly two decades? When will she win national player of the year? When will she be recognized as one of the top handful or so of players in the world?
It’s all here or coming soon. A national championship for Vanderbilt may be as well, though The Athletic ’s Coach of the Year, Shea Ralph , probably needs to get Blakes a bit more help to pull that off. The Fort Worth 1 Region No.
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