Women’s Basketball: Vanderbilt lands No. 14 player from Class of 2026 in Olivia Jones

The 5’11 guard chose the Commodores over Miami, North Carolina and Maryland.

Coach Shea Ralph kneels on the sideline, as photographed on March 21, 2025. (Hustler Multimedia/Connor Campbell)

By Rhea Patney, Senior Adviser

Nov 1, 2025

5-Star recruit Olivia Jones committed to Vanderbilt on Oct. 31, 2025. Jones — the No. 14 recruit from the Class of 2026 — chose Vanderbilt over Miami, North Carolina and Maryland. Jones is the highest-rated recruit since Mikayla Blakes (No. 8 in the Class of 2024) to commit to the Commodores.

Breaking: Olivia Jones, the No. 14 ranked player in the SC Next Top 100 for the Class of 2026, has committed to Vanderbilt, she announced. pic.twitter.com/cJFtgyqf9R

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) October 31, 2025

At Long Island Lutheran High School, Jones averaged 19.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in her junior season. She also averaged 8 points, 3.8 assists 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals for the gold-medal-winning Team USA at the U16 FIBA AmeriCup this past summer.

Jones, similar to Blakes, is quick off the dribble, has a 3-point shot and is relentless on defense. The duo can play at a fast pace, and Jones should take some defensive attention off of Blakes to create a more balanced offense.

“I wanted a great education that also offered a great basketball program,” Jones told ESPN. “I believe Coach Ralph and the Vanderbilt staff can prepare me to one day fulfill my dreams of becoming a professional athlete. Their staff is amazing and as I continued to get to know them more and more, I knew it was the place I needed to be.”

About the Contributors

Rhea Patney, Former Managing Editor

Rhea Patney (‘26) majored in medicine, health & society and communication of science & technology with a Spanish minor in the College of Arts and Science. She is from St. Louis and previously served as Senior Adviser, Managing Editor and Deputy Data Director. When not writing for The Hustler, Rhea loves reading, watching women’s sports, playing ultimate frisbee and chasing sunsets with her friends. She can be reached at [email protected].

Connor Campbell, Former Senior Staffer

Connor Campbell (’25) was a human and organizational development and cinema and media arts major from Staten Island, N.Y. Connor shares a strong love for both sports and film, leading to his interest in The Ringer and, consequently, his casual and quippy style of writing. Outside of The Hustler, Connor does freelance photography, runs the social media accounts for Vanderbilt Club Hockey and Camp Kesem’s Vanderbilt Chapter and is the president of Vanderbilt Tap That. You can reach him at [email protected].

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