​Vanderbilt women’s basketball, including star players Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan, participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness in honor of Chris Johnson, according to a social media video posted July 15.Johnson, the former Tennessee Titans great, announced in June that he had been diagnosed with ALS, which causes progressive loss of motor function.The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge first gained popularity in 2014 and features individuals dumping buckets of ice water over their heads to raise awareness and money for ALS.1 / 22Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes (1) rushes towards Illinois forward Berry Wallace (23) during the first half of a second round NCAA college basketball tournament game at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 23, 2026.(ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN)The women’s basketball video featured nine of the 12 players on the Commodores’ roster, including reigning SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes and SEC Freshman of the Year Aubrey Galvan, participating at FirstBank Stadium. They challenged Shawn Johnson East and the Vanderbilt football team to complete the challenge after being challenged by mayor Freddie O’Connell.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Commodores advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2026.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: Vanderbilt women’s basketball does ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in honor of Chris Johnson