The Associated Press national player of the week in women’s basketball for Week 9 of the season:
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
The sophomore guard opened SEC play with consecutive 30-point games. She scored 15 of her 32 points in the fourth quarter of the Commodores’ 65-61 win over then-No. 5 LSU. She had 10 of the team’s final 13 points in the win and hit five of her nine field goal attempts in the quarter. Blakes opened the week by matching her season-high in scoring with 35 points at Arkansas in the conference opener. She also matched her career-best with eight assists.
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Runner-up
Taliah Scott, Baylor. The redshirt sophomore guard hit the game-winning shot in the Bears’ victory over then-No. 10 Iowa State to give Baylor its first top-10 road victory in two years. She scored all 21 of her points in the second half of that victory. Scott also had 24 points in a win over Oklahoma State, where the Bears rallied from a 19-point third quarter deficit.
Honorable mention
Tyonna Bailey, Charleston Southern; Lauren Betts, No. 4 UCLA; Talayah Walker, Georgia Tech.
Keep an eye on
Murray State forward Sharnecce Currie-Jelks had consecutive games with more than 20 points and 20 rebounds as the Racers beat Illinois State and Bradley each in double overtime. She’s just the third Division I player in the last 22 years to accomplish that feat. She has 11 double-doubles on the season, tied for second in the nation.
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