SEC Women's Basketball Power Rankings: Vanderbilt moving up behind Mikayla Blakes

SEC Women’s Basketball Power Rankings: Vanderbilt moving up behind Mikayla Blakes

Posted by author January 29, 2025 Basketball

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A couple teams shook up the SEC women’s basketball power rankings halfway through conference play.

Vanderbilt turned three straight losses into three straight wins, two of them against ranked opponents. Freshman Mikayla Blakes has fueled the Commodores during their win streak, and I just wanted to say now, I believed in Vanderbilt from the start of the season.

In other news, South Carolina went undefeated in its five-game stretch against ranked opponents – including wins over LSU and Tennessee last week – and firmly cemented its place atop the league. Now, onto the rankings.

1. South Carolina (20-1, 8-0)

Last week: 1

This week: Auburn

What to know: Joyce Edwards averaged 16 points and led the Gamecocks in scoring four times in their five-game gauntlet of ranked opponents.

2. Texas (20-2, 6-1)

Last week: 3

This week: Missouri, Texas A&M

What to know: The Longhorns had two thrillers last week, and they proved they can handle crunch time on the road, too.

3. LSU (21-1, 6-1)

Last week: 2

This week: Oklahoma, Mississippi State

What to know: Class, if one team has lost 17 straight games against the other, does that qualify as a rivalry? Or is it just LSU fans starting fights on social media?

4. Vanderbilt (17-4, 4-3)

Last week: 5

This week: Florida, Ole Miss

What to know: Blakes averaged 26.7 points over Vanderbilt’s last three wins, two of them against ranked opponents. The race between Blakes and Edwards for SEC Freshman of the Year is going to be a tight one.

5. Kentucky (17-2, 6-1)

Last week: 4

This week: Alabama, Oklahoma

What to know: The Wildcats’ undefeated start in SEC play came to a screeching halt in College Station. Kentucky shot just 5.6% from behind the arc on 18 attempts – Texas A&M’s defense is no joke.

6. Texas A&M (10-9, 3-4)

Last week: 10

This week: Arkansas, Texas

What to know: The Aggies keep picking up big wins and are looking more and more like a tournament team as SEC play goes on.

7. Ole Miss (13-6, 4-3)

Last week: 6

This week: Georgia, Vanderbilt

What to know: The Rebels have two road games this week, the second a date in Nashville with Vanderbilt. If Ole Miss can’t steal a win against the Commodores, it’ll be long rest of the season.

8. Tennessee (15-5, 3-5)

Last week: 8

This week: Missouri

What to know: Coach Dawn Staley said it best Monday when Kim Caldwell returned to the sidelines one week after having her son – women have the strength of 10 men.

9. Alabama (17-4, 4-3)

Last week: 7

This week: Kentucky, Georgia

What to know: Alabama has gradually climbed from being a middle of the pack program to slightly above average in the SEC, and it looks like that might be its ceiling.

10. Oklahoma (16-4, 4-3)

Last week: 9

This week: LSU, Kentucky

What to know: The Sooners got a week to catch their breath and recover from their butt-whooping at South Carolina, but now it’s right back to the grind with LSU and Kentucky up next.

11. Auburn (11-10, 2-6)

Last week: 12

This week: South Carolina

What to know: Auburn got a sharpshooter in Yuting Deng, who shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range and 16 points in the Tigers’ win over Florida.

12. Florida (11-10, 2-5)

Last week: 15

This week: Vanderbilt, Arkansas

What to know: The Gators are on a three-game skid and things aren’t getting easier when Vanderbilt visits Thursday.

13. Mississippi State (16-6, 3-5)

Last week: 11

This week: LSU

What to know: Mississippi State had a one-point lead and Jerkaila Jordan got her pocket picked with the game on the line. The Bulldogs are in the running for worst crunch-time blunder of conference play.