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Everything Coach Yo said after Ole Miss advanced to the Sweet 16

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•03/23/25•

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Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin (Photo credit: Yolett McPhee-McCuin/X)

No. 25 Ole Miss women’s basketball has advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. 

The No. 5 seed Rebels (22-10) took 4-seed Baylor, 69-63, on Sunday. They’ll next face the winner of No. 1 UCLA and Richmond in Spokane, Washington, on Friday, March 28. 

The Rebels made the Sweet 16 just once in the program’s previous 25 years before bringing in now-seventh-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. 

Here’s everything McPhee-McCuin said in her postgame press conference.

OPENING STATEMENT

McPHEE-McCUIN: First of all I thought it was just an awesome game. It felt like an SEC kind of game. You know, on the road, rowdy crowd. I love that they showed up for their team.

You know, Waco has been incredibly hospitable and we have a lot of respect for Baylor. I mean, I just felt like it was a classic game. A lot have back and forth with Sarah Andrews staring me down every time she made a shot. I told her how much I love that.

Someone had to lose and I’m just glad it’s not us. I’m just incredibly grateful that we were able to come out with a victory.

ON OLE MISS JOURNEY TO HER SECOND SWEET 16 IN THREE YEARS

McPHEE-McCUIN: You know, it’s satisfaction because I really enjoyed coaching this team. This team has had a goal that they want to go to the Final Four. We don’t get to stop tonight. We will be one of the remaining 16 teams that will be competing.

You don’t have a chance if you’re out, so as far as I’m concerned we will be one of the 16 teams that has a chance to win a national championship. So it’s satisfaction in that regard.

I’m at peace with what happened in the past because for me, that’s all a part of being here and that’s what makes it special.

So just really — it was really gratifying when the buzzer sounded and we had the victory.

ON THE WIN REFLECTING HER AS OLE MISS COACH

McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, not in the second quarter. I don’t take any responsibility for that. (Laughter.)

You know, after halftime they were so riled up. I know a lot the people think I went in there and threw around chairs.

I just kept calm and I just reminded them that first is NC State. We went down 21 and we got back in the game. Versus UConn we were down 20-something and in one quarter; got back in the game. Versus LSU we were down 16 and won the game.

“I just asked them, I said, so you’re telling me three-pointers is a margin we can’t make up? One basket?”

And then you know, because sometimes people just need — it needs to make sense. Some type of rationale. They were just going nuts in there. I was like, I really want ya’ll to think about it. It’s a one-possession game.

They made their run, and now let’s make our run. When know we got to the fourth quarter and it was in my opinion 0-0 because it was a tie game, we felt confident.

ON OLE MISS’ 25 BENCH POINTS TO BAYLOR’S 12

McPHEE-McCUIN: Yeah, I’m always going to start the group that I feel starts the best for us, and I started doing that like six games ago.

So now everyone is like really comfortable with whatever I decide. Even after halftime if I need to make a change.

And our group just understands this: Like it takes all of us. You know, we’re a super team. Today Sira was the leading scorer, but the other game someone else was the leading scorer. Thank God she came to play. Where she been?

“But that’s our team: KK didn’t score at all yesterday. “

Tam says, okay, I’ll do you one better. I won’t score so you score, and so then KK gets 12 and 2.

So we’re a super team, and that’s what makes us special. You can’t just key in on one person. We were able to key in on a couple people on their team, and I didn’t think they were able to do that. I thought that was the difference.

ON KEEPING OLE MISS SENIOR MADISON SCOTT LOCKED IN AFTER FOUL TROUBLE

McPHEE-McCUIN: I just told her to relax. She was just starting to, the kids said, crash out. So she was just losing it. I’m like, Maddy, first of all, we’re up. Secondly, you’re fine. Just relax.

But she was passionate because she felt like she should have gotten a foul. Glad you brought that up. I said at halftime, guys, when do we get calls on the road? It’s called home cooking for a reason.

I thought the officials did a great job during the game. It was a hard game. It was a physical game. I felt like it was going to be what it was. So I was just trying to get her to just calm down.

ON SCOTT COMING THROUGH FOR OLE MISS DOWN THE STRETCH

McPHEE-McCUIN: She brought it home. Yeah, you know, don’t tell KK this, but I love her to death. She is really in a lot of ways a mini me, all right? That’s why she drives me nuts most times.

But, she’s fearless. She’s a leader. She’s competitive. She’s a winner. When KK came to Ole Miss, I said, you score 30 points, 25 points, 27 points but you haven’t won. And until you win, then none of that matters. And she has taken that to heart.

This is a young lady that came back if two ACL injuries. Very prideful. I bring her off the bench for a freshmen and then adjust a just to that role.

Today I said, hey, you’re not starting because I want to give a different look, and she is completely bought in. So really happy for her. She deserves this more — just as much as anybody else.

ON OLE MISS SUPPORT IN WACO

McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, Coach Emp (phonetic) is from Texas. I don’t know if people know that. She’s from Dallas, so she had 100 people show up.

And then Christeen’s parents live in Waco, so I don’t know that people know that. Starr is from Texas. We had a really good showing. And one of the players from year one, she’s from Texas. There was there, Crystal Allen. She came to the game.

And my husband is from Texas, Fort Worth, Texas. So it’s a family affair. You know, I wouldn’t want to go through this without my husband, two kids. My mom is here, my sister. We’re a team, and so my husband — sometimes I have to talk him down, so he is all in.

Just grateful for the fans showing up and I double dare them to come to Spokane.

ON HER JOURNEY FROM THE BAHAMAS TO OLE MISS

McPHEE-McCUIN: Sure, well, you know, like we say, 2-4-2 to the world, so I have a whole country that’s behind me, and that’s not an exaggeration. I turned my phone on and I had 150 messages, and 50 from a WhatsApp. The only people at WhatsApp me are Bahamian people. My daddy was watching. My brother, I know everybody was super excited.

It’s a great deal for me to come from a little country and be able to come over here and live the American dream. A lot of people know or don’t know my story, but I took the stairs. I think I’ve been naturalized maybe five years now. I don’t remember.

But my roots are still Bahamian roots. My family is there. I get a lot of love from my people in the Bahamas. I just think that when we get an opportunity we always show out from Jonquel to Buddy. I know I’m going to hear from JJ and Buddy. To Devon, man, it’s just so many of us. VJ. I do root for Baylor, but just VJ.

He’s a Bahamian. So we have tons of Bahamians out here just doing well and I’m happy for them all.

ON HER EMOTIONS AFTER THE OLE MISS WIN

McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, I was still emotional. I was crying the whole time just filled with gratitude and joy. You know, that’s the best way I could — that’s the best way I could describe it.

I think this time is just a tad different because we expected to win. When we went to Stanford, you know, I thought we could win but we were out-manned. They had like three WNBA players and we were just there just having a good time.

This time it was all business. We didn’t sightsee. We barely left the hotel. You know, this was a business trip for us.

So we expected to win. You know, we don’t think we’re a five seed, but that’s what the committee gave us, you know, and so we played with the cards that we were dealt. And I think what you saw was — like I was getting ready to celebrate and Maddy was like, let’s go, let’s get out here.

So it’s just a level of maturity from this group. We expected to win.

ON OLE MISS NOT HOSTING AS A TEAM MOTIVATOR

McPHEE-McCUIN: You know what? I’ve said this, and I really mean that. Had we hosted I would’ve been pumped, but I’m really grateful for the pressure we didn’t have to go through to win at home. (Laughter.)

Just, you know, I don’t know if this place is rocking like this all the time, but my mentor, Dawn Staley, always tells me if, you’re not used to this type of crowd it can work against you.

I’m not sure Baylor has this type of crowd all the time. If think do, then okay. But while it’s good, it’s also something you have to get used to.

And for us we had no pressure. In the SEC we play in big crowds, so I think I think whole 7,000 — our pavilion holds 9,000. We have had 8,000, 7,000, 6,000 games at home fan attendance, and on the road at LSU it’s packed.

“Paris was sold out. NC State sold out. We’re unfazed by this.”

We actually enjoyed it. The student section, man, they heckled me the whole game. They were respectful but they had a great time.

We’re just used to it and we’re built to play on the road. Of our players understand that free throws and layups matter the most on the road.

I want to say this. You didn’t ask, but I was really proud of Maddy because when she smoked that layup, to come back and hit that shot, I don’t know — when we played Texas at home she didn’t come back and hit that shot.

I was proud of her for her growth in that moment.

ON OLE MISS’ MENTAL TOUGHNESS

McPHEE-McCUIN: Growth, Donna. Learning through our losses. Learning through our losses. When we lost to Texas at home, Maddy had the last shot and got to the paint and kicked it to Sira.

I told her, we got to win and lose with you. So that’s growth. It’s no knock on Sira, but Maddy is the fifth year senior. So we learned from that. We have really learned through our losses.

And so that’s what you saw, a team that has had to grow through our losses. Again, we schedule so that we can possibly host, right? But we gained so much out of that.

I don’t know who can rattle us. Ya’ll we played Southern California, NC State, UConn, LSU, Texas, South Carolina. Our last ten games every team except for three teams were ranked in the top 15 or below.

We are battle tested. So that is what you’re seeing, a team that has had a chance to grow through and learn through our losses and then perform on the biggest stage when it matters the most.

ON RETURNING TO OXFORD

McPHEE-McCUIN: Yeah. You want a ride? (Laughter.)

You know what’s crazy? I’m not sure that everyone was prepared for us to beat Stanford, so they had to shift, you know.

It was like, just stay out here. So we have a chance to go back home which will be great. You know, my team, our word is joy. We don’t complain a lot. I don’t allow them to.

And so we would’ve been grateful regardless, but we’ll have to go back home and change out some stuff.

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