It all started on February 2nd, 2024, a year ago, when Juju Watkins, a mere 18-year-old, made headlines by posting 51 points against Stanford, setting the NCAA record for the most points a freshman has scored in a single D1 game. And now, 365 days later, a new challenger has emerged, one whom even the national coach has honored as Freshman of the Year.

Who else could it be? On Sunday, Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes one-upped Watkins’ record with a jaw-dropping 55 points against Auburn! She shot 15-28 from the field and 23-24 from the free-throw line, leading her team to a 98-88 victory.

Can you believe it? She contributed more than half of her team’s total. Not only that, but she also broke her own record of 53 points, which she set in January. Blakes is now averaging a staggering 21.8 points per game, and there’s no doubt why the buzz surrounding her is growing louder.

That’s why even Yolett McPhee-McCuin, aka Coach Yo, Mississippi Women’s Basketball head coach, shared, “National FOY, come on y’all. Stop the madness!” in a statement on X. If her 55-point performance doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, consider that it’s now the SEC single-game record and the NCAA D1 freshman record.

As if that wasn’t enough, it’s her second 50-point game this season, and she’s now the first NCAA D1 player this century to score 55 points and have 5 assists in a game. Well, all this dominance is a real threat to Sarah Strong. Many initially pegged her as the locked-in frontrunner for NCAA Freshman of the Year.

However, Blakes’ record-breaking feats have started to shift the conversation quite evidently. The best part is that her latest achievement comes just in time for her matchup against South Carolina on February 23.

After Sarah Strong’s proven dominance, all eyes at Blake against Gamecocks

Well, the game became even more important after Strong had an impressive outing herself on Sunday. She posted 16 points and 13 rebounds in UConn’s latest win over South Carolina. But with Blakes continuing her high-scoring tear, it’ll be fascinating to see if Strong will be able to maintain this against the defending national champions.

And to be honest, Strong is no stranger to dominance herself. Let’s not forget she became an integral part of UConn’s squad right from the start. It took her just three games to post her first double-double. Four games later, she dropped 20 points for the first time.

“She’s naturally gifted as an athlete,” shared Strong’s mother. Averaging 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, Strong shoots 57.3% from the field. Her composure and versatility have earned her praise from head coach Geno Auriemma. He even compared her to UConn legend Breanna Stewart.

Despite a quiet outing against St. John’s, Strong’s consistency all season long has cemented her as a player to watch.

“She’s always been around the game, and it’s no surprise to me that she’s doing this well,” added Strong’s mother. With Sarah Strong still dominating the conversation at UConn, all eyes will be on Blakes when she faces off against South Carolina to make her own case for the Freshman of the Year title. What do you think? Who deserves the title? Share your thoughts in the comments below.