Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin addressed the media following her team’s 85-48 loss to South Carolina on Sunday. Here is what she had to say.
Opening Remarks
McPhee-McCuin opened by praising the atmosphere at Colonial Life Arena and acknowledged that a handful of pivotal moments shifted the game’s momentum decisively in South Carolina’s favor. She pointed to a stretch when the score stood at 24-20 as a turning point, noting that the Gamecocks won the loose ball battles and championship plays that mattered most, triggering what she described as a snowball effect. Despite the result, she expressed genuine enthusiasm about reviewing the film and using the experience as a learning opportunity heading into the postseason.
On Cotie McMahon’s Off Night
McMahon, one of the SEC’s leading scorers, struggled against South Carolina’s defense, and McPhee-McCuin was asked how she would address it with her star forward. The coach was philosophical, noting that even elite players have difficult nights and that this simply happened to be McMahon’s. She credited South Carolina’s defensive scheme for making life difficult, singling out Raven Johnson in particular.
“I’m a big Raven Johnson fan. I thought she really did a good job. I thought the way she sat down and took the challenge was good,” McPhee-McCuin said.
She added that South Carolina made a clear schematic decision to take McMahon out of the game and force others to beat them. “One person can’t guard Cotie, and they did a good job from a schematic standpoint, saying, if y’all gonna beat us, it’s gonna be someone else,” she said, acknowledging that her other players could have done more to take advantage of the attention McMahon commanded.
On Madina Okot’s Development
Asked about Okot, who previously played for Mississippi State before transferring to South Carolina, McPhee-McCuin was candid and colorful in her assessment. “When I saw her start making threes, I was like, it’s over for us,” she said. “It’s one thing to have to battle with her around the basket. When she started looking like Steph Curry, I was like, we might as well pack it up.”
McPhee-McCuin said she always believed in Okot’s talent and recalled being wary of her during their Mississippi State days. She credited South Carolina’s environment for drawing out the best in the big woman. “It makes a difference when you’re around the level of players she’s around. When you’re around championship players, you start to move like that and embody that identity. She always had all of this skill. It’s just really being brought out because now she’s with some really good players,” she said.
On NCAA Tournament Hosting Prospects
When asked whether Sunday’s result might affect Ole Miss’s chances of hosting NCAA Tournament games or earning a top-16 seed, McPhee-McCuin pushed back firmly. “I haven’t seen any other team get punished after losing to South Carolina, so hopefully we don’t,” she said, noting that other programs who lost to the Gamecocks by similar margins did not see their seeding affected.
She acknowledged the difficulty of the Colonial Life Arena environment, describing the crowd as having the energy of a concert whenever South Carolina threatened to take full control. “I’ve been playing against Dawn since I was at Jacksonville, so this is nothing to me,” she said, “but for my young people that had to step up because of Cotie’s off shooting night, it was a shock.” She remained confident in her team’s ability to make a postseason run, noting the experience would ultimately serve them well in March.
On the Grueling Schedule
McPhee-McCuin refused to allow her team to view the brutal four-games-in-eight-days stretch as an excuse, instead framing it as an invaluable opportunity. “If you look at it half glass empty, you’re going to feel sorry for yourself. If you look at it half glass full, this is an incredible opportunity,” she said.
She drew on historical precedent to make her point, recalling that Mississippi State once lost heavily to UConn before defeating them to reach a national championship game. “It depends on how you want to look at it. We’re going to look at it half glass full, watch a tremendous amount of film, and against a team that is SEC champion and definitely a Final Four contender — plus the other games we’ve played — I like where we’re at,” she said.
On Tianna Thompson’s Performance and Roster Depth
McPhee-McCuin used the adversity as a chance to spotlight reserve Tianna Thompson, who took 19 shots in an expanded role created by Thienou’s absence. She made clear that level of shot volume would not be typical once the roster returns to full strength, but said she wanted Thompson to experience what it feels like to be the player her team leans on. She also acknowledged the depth gap between Ole Miss and South Carolina while finding a silver lining. “Not only do we have a grueling week, but I have a starter out, someone that is very important to what we do. We’re not as deep as South Carolina, but this opportunity does allow us to build our depth,” she said.
She was emphatic that anyone writing off her program was making a mistake. “Anybody who counts us out can’t count,” she said. “The brand of basketball we’ve been playing — you cannot take us lightly. We get through these next two games, we reset, we go into the SEC tournament, and then we rest and prepare for March. We’ll be ready to make a deep run.”
On South Carolina’s Two Big Men Shooting Above 40 Percent From Three
McPhee-McCuin admitted Sunday was her first real opportunity to closely observe South Carolina this season and came away impressed. She acknowledged the Gamecocks had dealt with their own adversity and injuries throughout the year before peaking at the right time. She saved her highest praise, however, for Johnson.
“Raven Johnson does not get the credit that she should. I think she is the best point guard in the country, and she makes them go. Sometimes you don’t see it in the scorebook, but what she does, you can’t teach,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Their team is really coming along and becoming what coach expects them to be in March.”
