In the last rendition of Memorial Minutes, The Hustler left our readers with one question: Could Shea Ralph’s squad keep up their impressive play?
The answer has been yes.
Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball has climbed from No. 17 to No. 15 in the AP Top 25 over the past two weeks, remaining unbeaten through eight games and sitting atop the SEC standings. This team isn’t just winning — it’s winning big, and it’s doing so against formidable Power Four opponents.
After hosting and thoroughly outperforming Alabama State in a 92-38 win, the Commodores defeated Tennessee State 99-43 on Nov. 23. — their second 50+ point win in as many games. Vanderbilt then hit the road for the Paradise Jam Thanksgiving Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where it faced Oregon State and BYU. With a combined win margin of victory of 35 points across the two contests, the Black and Gold returned to West End with a tournament trophy and an unblemished record.
The Paradise Jam was just the warm-up, though. The Commodores now enter a tough stretch of nonconference games beginning Dec. 3
Owning the glass
Last year, Vanderbilt’s struggles on the boards became its Achilles heel in the NCAA Tournament. This season, though, the Commodores have vastly improved in this statistical category and are reaping the benefits.
Vanderbilt averaged 36 rebounds per game through its first eight games last season. While this number is impressive at first glance, it decreases significantly when subtracting the prod
uction of Khamil Pierre — who has since parted ways with the program — to 27.25 rebounds per game and just 26 per game against Power Four opponents. Across the same number of games this season, the Commodores are averaging an impressive 41.9 rebounds per game — a 16% increase.
Leading the charge in this category is Sacha Washington, who has returned to action after missing the entirety of last season as a medical redshirt. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native is averaging eight rebounds per game across 22.1 average minutes. Though undersized in the post at just 6’2, Washington is shining against high-level competition. She pulled down 12 rebounds against BYU, whose frontcourt features 6’3 forward Bolane Yussuf. Right behind Washington is Aiyana Mitchell, who has taken a step forward this season. Her 6.3 average rebounds across 16.5 minutes is a huge step up from her 3.6 average rebounds in 11.3 minutes last season.
The duo of Washington and Mitchell has proven they can fill the gap left by Pierre against the best competition. The statistics prove that when Vanderbilt rebounds well, it wins games. If the ‘Dores maintain this high rate in the SEC, they should outperform their No. 8 preseason SEC ranking.
Developing depth
From the time she stepped onto campus as Vanderbilt’s head coach, Ralph has proven she can recruit elite talent. Two years ago, she recruited Mikayla Blakes — the highest recruit in program history. More recently, she secured commitments from blue-chip recruits in Olivia Jones and Jhai Johnson in the Class of 2026.
Aside from the ability to recruit well, Ralph and her staff also excel at developing players. In the era of improving your roster via the transfer portal, Ralph has prioritized retention and internal growth. Five years into her tenure, that philosophy is paying massive dividends.
Take, for example, Jada Brown. The Arkansas native was a centerpiece of one of the very first teams that Ralph fielded, stepping up and logging 22 starts and 637 minutes in the Commodores’ 2022 injury-plagued season. Since that season, however, Brown remained a quiet bench piece, logging just 356 minutes total in the next two seasons.
Now, as a senior, Brown has re-emerged as one of the first pieces off the bench for Ralph. After Madison Greene was injured prior to the season, Ralph needed another backcourt contributor — and Brown has delivered. The small guard is shooting 42% percent of shots from three and has created valuable spacing for dynamic guards like Aubrey Galvan and Blakes. Brown is a prime example of how Ralph develops her roster into SEC-caliber players and continually challenges them to elevate their game — no matter their place on the depth chart.
Pissott breakthrough
Justine Pissott — one of the most overlooked weapons on the team — is poised to be a weapon down the stretch as the Commodores enter SEC play. Pissott transferred to Vanderbilt two years ago after playing a limited role for the Tennessee Volunteers. As a sophomore, the New Jersey native started 28 games and averaged 6.8 points per game. However, she took more of a back seat in her junior year, coming off the bench and averaging just 3.6 points.
Pissott has always been a very interesting piece of Ralph’s lineup. The intangibles are hard to overlook; the lengthy guard is an elite three-point shooter who is not afraid to let it fly. However, her shooting was streaky, and her defensive skills never quite felt like they fit into Ralph’s defensive scheme.
This year, though, Pissott has transformed the parts of her game that kept her on the bench while refining those that made her an original five-star recruit out of high school. The senior is averaging 10.9 points per game and has reclaimed her spot in the starting lineup. Most recently, she was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team after combining for 35 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists across the two games. Her performance against BYU marked her first career double-double.
What has been most impressive about Pissott’s play, however, is not the sheer number of points she is putting on the boards, but rather her ability to make her teammates better. She’s defending with purpose and making the extra pass when she doesn’t have the best shot. This transformation, Ralph believes, can be attributed to a recognition of the need for self-improvement and the relentless pursuit of it.
“[Pissott] has invested in herself,” Ralph said. “She [has been], in particular, incredibly consistent with the work that she has done [to ensure] she is ready mentally, emotionally and physically for the game. I think it’s really cool to see the results of the work she has done because that doesn’t always happen.”
Pissott, while impressive so far this season, may just be heating up. And with every game, she is growing more confident in her abilities. As the season wears on, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if she blossoms into a star during her last year of college basketball.
Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball returns to action on Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. CST, hosting Virginia in the third annual SEC/ACC challenge.
