Vanderbilt women's basketball opens season in top 10 of both major polls
The Commodores are No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the coaches poll, their first consensus top-10 start since 2001-02.
NASHVILLE - Vanderbilt's women's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season ranked No. 8 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 9 in the USA TODAY/Women's Basketball Coaches Association preseason poll, Vanderbilt Athletics announced Tuesday, Oct. 20.
It is the first time since 2001-02 that the Commodores start a season in the top 10 of both major polls, according to the school's release. The rankings extend Vanderbilt's run of consecutive appearances in both polls to 22.
Vanderbilt went 29-5 last season and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008-09, finishing No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 8 in the coaches poll, the release says.
Coach Shea Ralph, entering her sixth season, returns Mikayla Blakes, the reigning SEC player of the year and the league media's preseason pick for the award, along with Aubrey Galvan, last season's SEC freshman of the year.
The Commodores open Monday, Nov. 2, against Lipscomb at 11 a.m. at Memorial Gymnasium.
Source: Vanderbilt Athletics, women's basketball release, "High Expectations," Oct. 20, 2026 (https://vucommodores.com/news/2026/10/20/high-expectations).