The Ole Miss women’s basketball team capped its best season in more than a decade with a loss in the Sweet 16 to Louisville.
Many people see reaching this point as a huge milestone for the program, and head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin acknowledges this accomplishment, but she also sees it as the new standard rather than a one-off occurrence.
McPhee-McCuin is now tasked with retooling her roster to try and replicate the success her team found this season, and she has already been busy in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail.
She wasted no time after the season ended as she received a commitment from former North Carolina guard Kennedy Todd-Williams almost as soon as the portal opened.
With the departures of leading scorer Angel Baker and starting guard Myah Taylor, Ole Miss was in the market for suitable replacements, and Todd-Williams certainly fits the mold of an Ole Miss Lady Rebel.
Baker signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky, a team in the WNBA, after a standout season averaging 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
McPhee-McCuin said in her post on Twitter, “Kennedy is a 2-way player that will immediately impact our roster. From our first conversation I knew that our visions aligned and she would be a great fit! I look forward to the Oxford community embracing ‘Toddy’ and helping her accomplish all of her goals while being here in the Sip!”
If the approval of McPhee-McCuin is not enough, let the numbers speak for themselves.
Todd-Williams averaged 13.5 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game on a Tar Heel team that was ranked for the majority of the year. She was a consistent factor for UNC both offensively and defensively, and she will look to wreak havoc on the SEC next season.
In addition to Todd-Williams, McPhee-McCuin got a commitment from Florida’s leading scorer, KK Deans. Deans, a 5-foot-8 point guard, averaged 14.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and 3.7 assists per game for the Lady Gators. If those numbers look familiar, it is because they are almost identical to Baker’s.
Deans will serve as the replacement for Baker, and McPhee-McCuin will look to use her in a way similar to the former Rebel floor general.
McPhee-McCuin said in her Twitter post about Deans, “KK is an absolutely huge pick up for us. She is a three level scorer and a competitor that will play the PG position. There is no doubt in my mind that the Oxford community will embrace Kirsten.”
Ole Miss could have stopped at Todd-Williams and Deans, but McPhee-McCuin saw her team’s rebounding woes and sought out a potential solution. She reached out to Auburn’s Kharyssa Richardson, and it quickly became a match made in heaven.
Richardson already comes in as one of the tallest players on the roster, standing at 6-foot-2, and in limited minutes for the Lady Tigers, she posted 7.2 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. With a potentially expanded role on the horizon for Richardson, she could be of great value to the Lady Rebels.
Everyone knows that McPhee-McCuin is a massive proponent of the transfer portal, some even call her the portal queen, but many overlook her ability to recruit from the high school level.
Ole Miss’ 2023 recruiting class is headlined by two ESPN Top-100 recruits that have the potential to make an immediate impact.
Four-stars Zakiyah Stephenson and J’Adore Young stand firm in their commitments to McPhee-McCuin’s program, and each will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Former backup point guard Destiny Salary put her name into the transfer portal, so that is yet another position that needs filling, presumably by Stephenson.
As previously stated, rebounding was a pain point for the Lady Rebels, so McPhee-McCuin recruited Young, a 6-foot-4 forward who averages 14 rebounds per game.
McPhee-McCuin has something brewing in Oxford. The combination of returning players, transfer portal additions and the 2023 recruiting class makes for a recipe for success.
The Sweet 16 is the new standard for this program, and so far, McPhee-McCuin has done her best work to retool this roster to match or even surpass last season’s success.
