Vanderbilt Commodores Receive Women's AP Top 25 Rank, Ending 11-Year Drought
For the first time in 11 years, the Vanderbilt Commodores (17-4, 4-3) have received a Top 25 ranking for their women's basketball team. Under head coach Shea Ralph's leadership, the team has soared in the 2024-25 season, climbing to the No. 23 spot after defeating two ranked opponents.
The SEC now has eight teams in the top 25, with the ACC close behind with seven. The Big Ten lost their footing in the polls, dropping to five ranked teams. The Big 12 has four ranked teams, and the Big East is being represented by the UConn Huskies as No. 6.
Vandy's most recent win against a nationally ranked team came on Sunday, when they defeated No. 19 Alabama. The Commodores hadn't beat a ranked team (let alone two) since the 2015-16 season, under the command of Melanie Balcomb.
Balcomb was no stranger to success with Vanderbilt and climbed to the top of many polls and rankings during her time in Tennessee.
Ralph has been with the team since 2021, marking 2024-25 as her fourth season with Vanderbilt. The Commodores are currently sitting at No. 5 in the SEC, moving ahead of Alabama after their 66-64 victory. Mikayla Blakes scored an impressive 33 points to help silence the Crimson Tide on the road, showcasing the potential Vanderbilt has been cultivating all season.
As a result of Vanderbilt's grit, Alabama was moved down to No. 22; just one spot ahead of the Commodores. Before Sunday, Alabama held a 10-game winning streak over Vanderbilt's heads.
The Commodores will have a two-game break against ranked opponents as they look to take on Florida and Ole Miss in the coming week. Their next ranked matchup will be against No. 5 Texas.
Vanderbilt was joined as new entries in the AP Top 25 by Oklahoma State and Florida State, coming in at No. 24 and 25, respectively. The teams that were eliminated from the list were Minnesota, Michigan, and Baylor.
The statistics included in the polls were provided by ESPN and The Associated Press.
