{
  "id": 11038036,
  "title": "How Shea Ralph built Vanderbilt women's basketball roster around Mikayla Blakes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/how-shea-ralph-built-vanderbilt-womens-basketball-roster-around",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T21:48:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/shea-ralph-built-vanderbilt-womens-214857269.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For the past two seasons, Mikayla Blakes has been the driving force behind Vanderbilt women's basketball. Coach Shea Ralph's objective for the 2026-27 campaign is to bolster the team with additional talent around Blakes, allowing her to thrive as a leader and contribute to the team's success in multiple ways. Ralph emphasizes that enhancing Blakes' leadership skills, encouraging her to use her voice, and finding other avenues for her to impact the game are key priorities. The core of the scoring has traditionally rested on Blakes' shoulders, but Ralph intends to diversify her role to open up her game and aid in securing victories. Blakes, a 2026 SEC Player of the Year, led the nation in scoring with an impressive average of 27 points per contest, while also contributing 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Her teammate Aubrey Galvan, recognized as SEC Freshman of the Year, averaged 13.5 points and 5.7 assists per game. However, the Commodores have suffered the loss of several key players, including Justine Pissott, Ndjakalenga Mwnentanda, and Sacha Washington, the remaining members of their 2025-26 starting lineup. To fill these gaps, Ralph has recruited transfers Vernell Atamah and Mia Woolfolk, as well as freshmen Olivia Jones, Jhai Johnson, and Sther Ubaka. Ralph expresses satisfaction with the transfer signings, particularly highlighting Atamah's exceptional shooting skills and Woolfolk's versatility as a big woman and her potential for growth. Woolfolk, who previously played for Georgia and Vanderbilt, averaged 13.9 points per game during the 2025-26 season and shot 60.2% from the field. As Vanderbilt aims to expand her range and play more on the perimeter, the addition of Woolfolk could prove beneficial. The incoming freshman class showcases promising talent, led by Olivia Jones, a 5-star guard whose intensity and consistency remind Ralph of Blakes. Additionally, freshman forward Jhai Johnson and combo-forward Sther Ubaka bring valuable skills to the team. Jones' impact on the program, as described by Ralph, mirrors the qualities she admires in her former star player, Mikayla Blakes.",
  "summary": "Here's how Shea Ralph built her Vanderbilt women's basketball roster in 2026-27 around Mikayla Blakes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "How Shea Ralph built Vanderbilt women's basketball roster around Mikayla Blakes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/how-shea-ralph-built-vanderbilt-womens-basketball-roster-around-11038037",
        "published": "2026-09-30T21:48:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}