Vanderbilt Commodores

Will Vanderbilt Join the Other SEC Ranked Teams?

The Commodores ended their regular season on a win streak and received a first-round bye in the SEC tournament this week, but are they closer to being ranked again?

Taylor Hodges

Vanderbilt’ Mikayla Blakes (1) passes the ball to Aiyana Mitchell (14) after saving the ball from going out of bounds during an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt’ Mikayla Blakes (1) passes the ball to Aiyana Mitchell (14) after saving the ball from going out of bounds during an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. / Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There was little time wasted as March got its madness started in earnest Sunday with several ranked women’s teams suffering upsets.

Vanderbilt wasn’t one of those teams, but it did benefit from the madness. Georgia beating then-No. 11 Tennessee allowed the Commodores to move into the No. 8-seed of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament and get a first-round bye.

It’s a fitting reward for Vanderbilt, who won more than 20 games in the regular season for the second consecutive season and will be headed back to the NCAA Tournament next week.

However, based on the most recent AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll, the Commodores will head into the NCAA Tournament unranked. The Commodores weren’t ranked in Monday’s updated poll after going 2-2 in the final week of the regular season and didn’t receive any votes.

Vanderbilt awaits the winner of Wednesday’s first round matchup between No. 9-seed Tennessee and No. 16-seed Texas A&M. The Commodores will face the winner at 10 a.m. Thursday on SEC Network.

The 2025 SEC Women's Basketball Conference Championship Tournament Bracket
The 2025 SEC Women's Basketball Conference Championship Tournament Bracket / SEC X/Twitter

Here’s the complete top 25 poll released Monday:

AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll

  1. Texas (29-2)
  2. USC (26-2)
  3. UConn (28-3)
  4. UCLA (27-2)
  5. South Carolina (27-3)
  6. Notre Dame (25-4)
  7. North Carolina State (24-5)
  8. TCU (28-3)
  9. LSU (27-4)
  10. Oklahoma (23-6)
  11. Duke (23-7)
  12. Kentucky (22-6)
  13. Ohio State (24-5)
  14. North Carolina (25-6)
  15. Maryland (23-6)
  16. West Virginia (23-6)
  17. Baylor (25-6)
  18. Tennessee (21-8)
  19. Alabama (23-7)
  20. Kansas State (25-6)
  21. Oklahoma State (24-5)
  22. Florida State (23-7)
  23. Creighton (24-5)
  24. Michigan State (21-8)
  25. South Dakota State (26-3)

Others receiving votes: Louisville 40, Richmond 21, Mississippi 15, Utah 6, James Madison 5, Iowa 3, Fairfield 2, California 2, Georgia Tech 1.

Vanderbilt Commodores On SI:

Published
Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.

Home/Basketball