Ole Miss Women’s Basketball took part in SEC Tipoff on Tuesday, Oct. 14 in Birmingham, Ala. to share insight on the upcoming season and speak on goals for the year, new additions to the program and what can be expected out of this year’s Lady Rebels.
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and forwards Christeen Iwuala, Latasha Lattimore and Cotie McMahon represented Ole Miss.
Every SEC women’s and men’s basketball teams had the opportunity to speak over the two-day event. Every team’s coach and up to three players were available to speak to the media.
The first highlight for McPhee-McCuin was the growth of the program and the competitive nature of the SEC.
“They (SEC teams) take no mercy on you, so I don’t remember anybody feeling bad by beating me by 60 and 50 points when I first started,” McPhee-McCuin said. “It gives me great pride now that our program is where it is, and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow.”
Coming off of a successful season last year, the Lady Rebels lost several key plays such as KK Deans and Madison Scott. They added nine new faces heading into the 2025 season and earned a No. 2 transfer class per ESPN.
“At Ole Miss, we don’t really replace, we kind of try to reload,” McPhee-McCuin said. “With the return of Sira Thienou, still being on the team and Christine Wallace, we felt like we had two core starters, and we wanted to build around that.”
Heading into this season, the nine new athletes come from different basketball backgrounds, none which compare to the toughness of the SEC.
Lattimore, a transfer from Virginia, comes out of a competitive league in the Atlantic Coast Conference but knows that playing in a league such as the SEC requires a different level of toughness.
“I would definitely say it’s more physical, even though the ACC is very physical, as well. I would just say it’s way bigger on this side,” Lattimore said.
Not only do these new players have to adjust to a different conference and system, they also have to kindle a sense of connection and community within the new group of girls. McMahon, a senior transfer from Ohio State, described the transition and bond building between the teammates as seamless.
“It definitely happened instantly,” McMahon said. “I think with Coach Yo, she recruits not only great players but (also) great people. So coming in, you know, everybody on the team is just a great human being in general, so I think that really helps.”
Merging the addition of new, exciting players and a Sweet 16 finish last year, lots of eyes will be on the Lady Rebels this year to see what they can accomplish in a tough league like the SEC.
The goal for the girls this season is clear: focus on the present moment and give it their best.
“Our biggest goal is taking everything one day at a time. We’re going to be 100% our best and we’re going to be trying for a national championship in every single thing we do,” Iwuala, a senior, said. “No matter what it is, we’re competing to be number one every single day.”
One unique aspect of McPhee-McCuin’s coaching style is her ability to build a culture, and each year she selects a word to represent that team and for them to rally around. The word for the 2025-26 season is “give.”
“I think real leaders give. Real leaders are servants, and they have to want to give, because they always receive,” McPhee-McCuin said.
McPhee-McCuin emphasized the world the student athletes are in now is naturally apt to where the athletes are the recipients, which was not the culture she wanted to create.
“I don’t think that the world is just set up for that,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I don’t want any student athlete to leave Ole Miss thinking that they’re just going to receive without giving.”
This year’s Ole Miss Women’s Basketball team does not just give on the court, but in all aspects of life.
“It’s just about waking up every single day coming into practice and wanting to give your 100% at all times,” Lattimore said. “Coach Yo always says ‘Once you enter that practice, you’re going to give (me) 100% at all times because you don’t want to ever leave anything in that aspect knowing that you didn’t give it your 100%.’”
McPhee-McCuin ability to give herself does not go unnoticed by the athletes that play for her. The love she has for her players is what makes people want to play for her.
“She obviously cares about us being successful as far as basketball and however far we want to go with that career,” McMahon said. “But also outside of basketball, she really does make sure her players are just mentally in the right space and making sure that we’re going into the right things. She pushes us to really build our faith and make sure our faith is strong.”
For this team, giving is something that is continuous. It is not a one time thing or something one decides to do occasionally.
“If you think you’re going 100%, give more,” Iwuala said. “Because someone else may not have that to give. It’s giving everything you have for the betterment of the team.”
