Commodores Women’s Basketball Team Poised for SEC Opener Against Georgia
The Vanderbilt Commodores women’s basketball team is gearing up for an exciting start to their SEC season, as they prepare to face the Georgia Bulldogs this Thursday evening.
Game Details
The much-anticipated matchup will tip off at 6:30 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville and can be viewed live on SEC Network+.
Rising in the Rankings
While the Commodores (13-1) have yet to break into the national rankings, they are gaining recognition by receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and the coaches’ poll, with the highest number of votes outside of the Top 25 as of Monday.
ESPN’s latest Bracketology reflects confidence in Vanderbilt’s performance, projecting them as a No. 4 seed for the upcoming women’s tournament. Achieving this top seed would mean the Commodores could host the first two rounds, providing them a significant home-court advantage.
Building on Last Year’s Success
Under the leadership of Shea Ralph, the UConn legend who became head coach in 2021, Vanderbilt aims to build on last year’s momentum. The team broke a decade-long NCAA playoff drought, finishing the season 23-10 with a 9-7 record in the SEC, which secured them a sixth-place finish despite being predicted to finish last. This led to an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, where they faced a first-round exit.
Current Form and Key Players
Entering SEC play on a six-game winning streak, the only blemish on the Commodores’ record is a loss to Michigan State. The team has also triumphed over three other high-major opponents this season.
Vanderbilt currently sits at No. 12 in the NCAA NET rankings, trailing four SEC teams. Leading the charge is Khamil Pierre, who is averaging an impressive double-double with 22.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, making her one of the few players nationwide achieving this statistic. She also leads the team with 51 steals.
Following her is Mikayla Blakes, contributing 19.2 points per game along with a team-high 49 assists and 40 steals. Additionally, Iyana Moore is also making a mark, averaging 12.2 points per game and showcasing her three-point shooting by hitting nearly 35% from beyond the arc. Madison Green is another key player who is nearly averaging 10 points and shares a similar shooting percentage from three-point range.
Looking Ahead
As the Commodores embark on a 16-game league schedule, they are focused on securing a high seed for the SEC Tournament, which will be held from March 5-9 in Greenville, S.C. With the conference expanding to 16 teams, Vanderbilt will compete against each team just once, while facing Ole Miss twice.
The Commodores are eager to demonstrate their prowess on the court and make a significant impact this season.
