WATCH: Ole Miss, McPhee-McCuin ‘getting close’ on contract extension
Ole Miss women’s basketball leaves out for a nine-day Italy tour on Sunday.
The Rebels will play three games and return home August 8. Ole Miss last season reached the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time in program history. The Rebels advanced to their 11th all-time Sweet 16.
Ole Miss won 20 or more games and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the second of back-to-back seasons. The last time the Rebels pulled off such a feat was 1993-94 and 1994-95.
“Really excited about this group,” head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said Monday. “Just a really fun group of young women that understand what’s next for us — that next step. They’ve only been here, I think, as a group three weeks, but it’s been an incredible three weeks. It’s almost as if we have been together all summer, honestly.
“One of the things I really like about our group is the personalities. Last year, I thought we were always fun-loving. This group is still fun-loving, but they’re competitive and super focused, which makes for intense practices.”
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McPhee-McCuin also provided an update on where things stand in negotiations with Ole Miss on a new contract.
She earned $850,000 in base salary for 2023 — up $100,000 from the previous year, when her salary ranked sixth in the SEC.
“My attorney handles that,” she said. “I try to just continue to focus and do what needs to be done. But I can say we’re getting close to getting it done. I’m super excited about that. I think everybody knows I love Oxford. This has become home for me. And I love Ole Miss.
“But we can’t say yes to something until it’s all the way right, and I think both parties understood that. It’s been healthy conversations. I haven’t been involved in a lot of them. But now that we’re nearing the end, I’m excited. I’m optimistic about it.”
For now, she’s simply focused on a taking her newest batch of Rebels overseas.
“Going to Italy, I’m hoping to learn something new every single day,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We’ve been due for this trip for three years now. I’ve been putting it off because I’ve been waiting on that right time. I just felt like with five freshmen and three newcomers this was the perfect time for us to do it.
“Really excited about the educational part (and) to vibe as a group.”
