Vanderbilt announces dismissal of Khamil Pierre

Khamil Pierre was one of the leading contributors last season, in her second college season with the program, for Vanderbilt. Now, though, she will not be back with the Commodores.

Vanderbilt announced a decision by their program to dismiss Pierre on Monday. They did so in a release this evening from Shea Ralph.

Roster update from Coach Ralph pic.twitter.com/po3xOfiMrE

— Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) June 30, 2025

“Khamil is a great player and I have no doubt she will have success in the future,” Ralph wrote. “Ultimately, it was determined it would be best for Khamil and our program to go in different directions. We wish her the best of lucky.”

Pierre made 65 appearances, 43 being starts, over her underclassman seasons at Vanderbilt. She averaged 14.6 points (47.2% FG), 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.4 assists per game in that time. That includes an improvement up to 20.4 points (49.8% FG), 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 steals, and 2.1 assists this past season as a sophomore, leading the Commodores in rebounding and steals while being second in scoring to Mikayla Blakes (23.3 ppg.).

Pierre is a Phoenix native. She played her high school basketball at Perry in Queen Creek, Arizona before coming cross-country to Nashville.

After that big-time season, Pierre would go on to announce that she would not be entering her name into the NCAA Transfer Portal. She committed to returning to Vanderbilt for her junior season, while expressing her gratitude for and excitement to continue being in the Commodorse’ program, in a social media graphic back on April 11th.

“I’ve taken time to reflect, pray, and talk with the people I trust most, and I’ve come to a place of peace and clarity. I believe in the vision Coach Ralph and Coach Tom (Garrick) have for me and this program. From day one, they’ve seen me as more than just a basketball player. They’ve loved me and supported me as a person, which means everything to me,” Pierre wrote at the time. “Coach Ralpha and her staff are building something truly special here in Nashville. Being part of this program means more to me than just basketball. It’s about the foundation we’re laying for the future. I want to leave a legacy that lasts. And I believe, with Coach Ralph and this team, we have a real chance to do that together…Here’s to another year.”

This is a developing story with Vanderbilt’s announcement coming within the hour this evening with also no reference as to why the dismissal took place. That leaves question of where, or if, Pierre could be back playing college basketball elsewhere next season or moving forward. It just won’t be for the Commodores per the surprising announcement by the program and their head coach tonight.