Khamil Pierre Dismissed from Vanderbilt WBB Program
The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team is looking ahead at the 2025-26 season with visions of contending for an SEC title and making a deep run in March. Those goals became significantly more difficult after the program announced junior forward Khamil Pierre was no longer a part of the team.
Pierre had a breakout season as a sophomore, combing with freshman sensation Mikalya Blakes to form one of the highest scoring duos in the nation. Pierre averaged 20.4 points per game — second on the team behind Blakes‘ 23.3 point average. She also led the team in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game, which was more than twice what the second leading rebounder averaged (the departing Jordyn Oliver with 4.5 rebounds per game) on an undersized Commodore roster.
The announcement sent shockwaves to Commodore Nation, but the talk of friction between Pierre and the coaching staff actually started at the conclusion of the season after false reports surfaced that she would be entering the transfer portal. Eventually, Pierre ended the speculation in a tweet on April 11 by firmly stating her intention to return to Vandy. At that point, if there were issues between her and the coaching staff, they appeared to be resolved.
Not so fast. Just a couple of months later, the coaching staff would make Pierre’s decision to leave for her. At this point, no specific reason has been given for the dismissal, but the timing of the announcement on June 30 is unfortunate for both parties. With the transfer portal officially closed, it appears Pierre will have to sit out the 2025-26 season barring some legal gymnastics to find a loophole that would allow her immediate eligibility. It also leaves Coach Ralph unable to sign a viable replacement for Pierre’s spot on the roster.
While fans are naturally disappointed with this development, unfortunately steps like these are sometimes necessary for a program to ascend to where we’re hoping. Coach Ralph clearly has expectations and a culture she wants to develop — likely carried over from her own coach and mentor, the legendary Geno Auriemma. Now a clear message has been sent: No one player — no matter how talented — is bigger than that.
