Sacha Washington’s 2024-25 season didn’t go according to plan.
The forward for Vanderbilt women’s basketball was diagnosed with a blood clot in her leg before the season began. She was forced to sit out the year.
But Washington had a resolve from the start to return for her fifth year with the Commodores, and she worked hard to stay in shape. As a trial run, she played in a 3×3 event over the summer, a form of basketball that involves three players on a side.
“It’s definitely different, but I’m just grateful to be back on the court with my teammates. … It’s been a learning process,” Washington said Sept. 30.
In her first three seasons, Washington was a beacon of durability. She appeared in all 99 games Vanderbilt played from 2021-24 and recorded 10.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with a .487 field goal percentage. As a junior in 2023-24, she had a .526 field goal percentage.
Rebounding was a big issue for Vanderbilt in 2024-25, ranking 15th in the SEC in rebounding margin. The 6-foot-2 Washington’s return could help with that.
“(She’s) a big post presence, a body,” coach Shea Ralph said. “She’s a great screener, she’s a great rebounder, and she works. So she’s just her fifth year in our program, and automatically, now we have somebody who is going to be a presence in the lane, offensively and defensively, sets great screens and rebounds the ball, and those were lots of things that we missed last year, especially down the stretch.”
How Mikayla Blakes could take a step forward as a sophomore
There’s only so far Mikayla Blakes can go up. The SEC Freshman of the Year and a consensus second team All-American, Blakes averaged 23.3 points per game and put up two 50-point performances in 2024-25. Over the summer, she starred with Team USA.
But Ralph believes there’s still more Blakes can do. The Commodores’ top incoming freshman is Aubrey Galvan, a pure point guard whom Ralph lauds for her passing ability. Ralph has already proven she’s willing to allow a freshman to be her primary ball-handler, and Galvan could do that while Blakes spends more time playing off the ball.
“Combo guard is essentially what we wanted to grow (Blakes) into anyway,” Ralph said. “But now having Aubrey … it’ll be the same way that having Aubrey ball dominant a lot of times, or another kind of option for us to handle the ball is going to be able to put Mikayla in a bunch of different positions.”
Blakes’ experience with Team USA also taught her how to be a better leader, according to Ralph. By expanding her versatility, she could become even more dangerous.
Why Vanderbilt is confident without Khamil Pierre
Vanderbilt parted ways with Khamil Pierre, who had a star-level 2024-25 season, in late June. Pierre subsequently transferred to NC State.
Because Pierre’s departure came so late, the Commodores could no longer dip into the transfer portal to replace her. Instead, they had to roll with what they already had.
“Our program is our program,” Ralph said. “So the people that come in here and compete with us are who we have. And so the adjustments have been very seamless. We’re out here competing every single day.”
One player who could replace some of Pierre’s production as a versatile forward could be Texas transfer Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda. Mwenentanda was a role player with the Longhorns but figures to have a much bigger role with the Commodores.
“Ndjakalenga comes in with … pedigree,” Ralph said. “She’s competed at the highest level. She’s gone to the final four, which is where we want to go. So automatically, she elevated practice, she elevated tools, she elevated just the way that we work, because she works at such a high level.”
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sacha Washington returning for Vanderbilt women’s basketball after blood clot
