Yolett McPhee-McCuin admits it was 'a little fight' to keep Sira Thienou at Ole Miss

Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is glad to have Sira Thienou back for a second season in Oxford. With the transfer portal a pull for a lot of players in the offseason, it wasn’t always a guarantee.

After averaging 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game as a true freshman, Thienou would have had no shortage of options if she did decided to transfer. In fact, McPhee-McCuin admitted that it took some convincing on the part of the Rebels staff to get her to stay.

“We’re appreciative that she’s still here with the transfer portal,” she said in a recent press conference. “She could have left us. It was a little fight there at one point and it shouldn’t be, but it was. But she remained loyal and believes in what we’re doing.”

Thienou was named to the SEC All-Freshman team this past season after a productive debut year to her college career. The guard finished the season with 79 total steals, ranking second among freshmen in Ole Miss history. Her 2.4 steals per game was also good for the fourth-most in the SEC.

Thienou had arguably her best game last season against Florida, dropping 29 points and five made 3-pointers on Jan. 16. She was twice named the SEC Freshman of the Week, and McPhee-McCuin believes she can be an even more complete player with a year of experience.

“I expect her to naturally just have a better year from freshman to sophomore,” the coach said. “It’s just a natural part of evolution. She knows what to expect. She looks great. She had one workout with coach Jake and he said, ‘She looks like she’s ready to have another great year.’ So excited about getting out there with her today.”

The Rebels are coming off of a 22-1 finish this past season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. It was their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance under McPhee-McCuin, who just wrapped up her seventh season in Oxford.

Thieno is set to be the leading returning scorer for Ole Miss after it lost several veteran players this offseason. She is the only returning starter on the team and should be expected to handle an even bigger role as a result. The Rebels brought in a big transfer portal class with five players this offseason, and it will be interesting to see how Thieno meshes with that group.