The Ole Miss Women’s Basketball team was selected as the No. 5 seed in Region 2 of the NCAA Tournament and will take on No. 12 seed Gonzaga in Minneapolis on Friday, March 20 at 2:30.
During a press conference after the Women’s Selection Sunday show, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin shared her excitement for this postseason.
“I don’t know that this time of year will ever get tiring to me or old to me,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I’ve been restless the last 48 hours, so really glad to see now where we’ll be and who we’ll be playing.”
The Lady Rebels finished the regular season 23-11 (8-8 SEC). They advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals in Greenville, S.C., after beating No. 15 Auburn and No. 2 Vanderbilt. In the semifinals, they lost to eventual tournament champion No. 3 Texas.
“I think we (have) been through so much,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Four games in eight days, and then three games in-a-row in the SEC Tournament against the best of the best … it’s hard to not feel like you’re prepared.”
Since seeds 1-4 host games in the Round of 64 and Round of 32, Ole Miss will visit No. 4 seed Minnesota. If they beat the Bulldogs, they will take on the winner of No. 4 seed Minnesota and No. 13 seed Green Bay in the Round of 32. If they advance again, they will travel to Sacramento, Calif., for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.
The Lady Rebels are making their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Last season, they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time under McPhee-McCuin.
“I don’t take that (making the tournament five times in-a-row) for granted,” McPhee-McCuin said. “It’s hard to win and it’s hard to get to the tournament.”
McPhee-McCuin and the Lady Rebels have a plan to prepare for their Friday matchup.
“When I leave here, I’m going to go to the office. My staff’s already there, so we’ll start digging into Gonzaga,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Then we got a couple (staffers), we call them the Geek Squad. They’re probably in the back cutting out film on who they think will play. As coaches, this is a really exciting time.”
Friday’s matchup will also mark Ole Miss’ second time meeting Gonzaga in the Round of 64. The pair’s last matchup resulted in a 71-68 victory by Ole Miss in 2023. McPhee-McCuin spoke highly of Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier.
“She is a cancer survivor, so (I) just have a lot of love and respect for her,” McPhee-McCuin said. “(I’m) really happy that they were able to win the WCC (West Coast Conference).”
Minneapolis will be a hard trip for many fans, but the players are not worried.
“We’re there to play basketball. The fans are great. Audience is great, but this team plays for an audience of one anyway. We’re not too shaken by that,” Cotie McMahon said in the presser.
ESPN2 will broadcast Friday’s game at 2:30.
