Who is Mikayla Blakes? Meet Vanderbilt star who passed Caitlin Clark in record books during Sweet 16

Vanderbilt appears to have a potential superstar on its hands.

The Commodores have made their third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2026, but unlike the first two bids, head coach Shea Ralph's unit has made a deep run this year. Behind star guard Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt has reached the Sweet 16.

Blakes has been historically great for Vanderbilt since she arrived on campus in 2024, leading the country in scoring this season as the SEC Player of the Year. And now, as of Friday, she's surpassed former Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark on the list of most points by a Division I player in their first two seasons.

Here's what to know about Blakes and where she now ranks on the historic list.

MORE: Full history of back-to-back women's NCAA Tournament winners

Who is Mikayla Blakes?

Blakes is a 5-foot-8, second-year guard for Vanderbilt who has emerged as one of the best offensive players in the country over her first two seasons with the Commodores. She attended Rutgers Preparatory High School in Somerset, New Jersey, becoming a McDonald's All-American selection, a five-star recruit and a top-10 player in the Class of 2024.

In Blakes' freshman year alone in 2024-25, she immediately cemented herself as an elite scorer. After initially setting the record for most single-game points by a Vanderbilt freshman with 36, she went on top that with a new SEC record with 53 against Florida, then set a new record for Division I freshman scoring with 55 points in a win over Auburn. Blakes was named the 2024-25  Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year, a Second-Team All-American and the SEC Freshman of the Year.

In her sophomore season, Blakes, now 20 years old, has followed that up by leading the nation in scoring at 27.0 points per game. This season, she was named a First-Team All-American, the SEC Player of the Year and earned her second First-Team All-SEC selection. She's also broken Vanderbilt's single-season scoring record this year, which was previously Wendy Scholtens’ 855 points.

Blakes has guided Vanderbilt to the NCAA Tournament in each of her first two college seasons, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2025-26.

MORE: Most points in a women's March Madness game

Most points scored in first two seasons 

On Friday, with Vanderbilt taking on Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, Blakes inched further up the all-time list for most points by a Division I women's basketball player in their first two seasons.

She surpassed Clark, who had 1,662 points across her first two years at Iowa. Blakes will need a deeper Vanderbilt run in the NCAA Tournament to make a run for the record, which is held by Kelsey Mitchell at 1,762 points in two seasons.

Here's a look at the leaders for most points in a player's first two Division I NCAA seasons:

Mikayla Blakes stats

Blakes has dominated for Vanderbilt over two seasons, making the Commodores a top SEC threat.

Here's a look at her numbers in college so far:

MORE: Perfect seasons in women's college basketball history