OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women’s basketball will look to continue its winning ways after starting the season 2-0, hosting Southern at the SJB Pavilion on Wednesday, November 12. Tipoff between the Rebels and Jaguars will be at 6 p.m. CT, streaming on SEC Network+.
 
TEAM FACTS
No. 13/16 Ole Miss Rebels (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (127-95) • 13th Season in Career (221-158)
 
Southern Jaguars (0-2, 0-0 SWAC)
Head Coach: Carlos Funchess • 8th Season at Southern (116-102) • 8th Season in Career (116-102)
 
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: Lindsay King
 
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Rebels and Jaguars are set to face off for the eighth time, and the first time since 2014. The series began in 1990, and Ole Miss is a perfect 7-0 entering Wednesday’s contest. The series has been split with four games happening in Oxford and three in Baton Rouge, though the two teams haven’t played in Southern’s arena since 1995.
 
Ole Miss dominated Southern the last time they faced off, 91-68. Much like what the Rebels hope to accomplish on Wednesday, the win in 2014 improved their record to 3-0. Tia Faleru was a woman on a mission in that game, rattling off 29 points and a staggering 19 rebounds. For Faleru, it would be her second double-double of the season and 19 rebounds would stand as her career best. Three other student-athletes accrued double-digit points, including Danielle McCray (18 points), Gracie Frizzell (13 points) and Kiara Golden (11 points), the latter two doing so off the bench.
 

There have been impressive individual performances against the Jaguars, which includes in the Feb. 9, 1994 match when Susan Byrd set the then-program record for most blocks in a single game with seven. Byrd’s record stood until 2018 when Promise Taylor recorded 10 against Texas A&M. Faleru’s dominance in the 2014 match is likely the best individual effort against the Jaguars by a Rebel.
 
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
Coming off a solid 21-15 record in 2024-25, which included a 15-3 ledger against SWAC opponents, Southern is looking to continue building momentum from the past few seasons. The Jaguars have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons, including last seasons when they earned their first-ever victory in the tournament. They are the only SWAC team in NCAA history to win a game in the NCAA Tournament after besting UC San Diego in the first round.
 
Off to an 0-2 start in 2025-26, with losses to Iowa and Iowa State, Southern returns six student-athletes from last season’s history-making squad. Jocelyn Tate is the top returner for the Jaguars, having averaged 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 assists per game last season. In Southern’s first two games this season, she’s matched that effort fairly consistently. The top scorer for the Jaguars so far this season is Coastal Carolina transfer Zaria Hurston, who is averaging 14 points in two games. Hurston is also the team’s top rebounder so far, averaging five per game.
 

The SWAC’s preseason top team, the Jaguars also brought in sharpshooter Jaylia Reed by way of Mississippi Valley State. Reed led the SWAC last season in threes made per game with 1.9 and total threes made with 60. Olivia Delancy joined the Jaguars from Florida A&M, and was named to the preseason second-team All-SWAC. Mykayla Cunningham is the team’s top passer at the moment, with seven assists through two games this season.
 
GAMES AGAINST THE SWAC

Ole Miss has historically dominated SWAC opponents, holding a 98-7 combined record against all members of the conference. The Rebels went 5-0 against SWAC opponents last season, with two of the victories (against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alabama State) setting program records for fewest points allowed. Ole Miss has won the last 20 matchups against SWAC opponents, with McPhee-McCuin holding a perfect 19-0 record. The Rebels are already 1-0 against SWAC opponents this season, following a victory against Alabama A&M last time out.
 
THE EXPECTATION, NOT THE EXCEPTION
Entering year eight of the Yolett McPhee-McCuin era in Oxford, the standard has been set. Two Sweet 16s in three years, four NCAA Tournaments in a row, four straight 10-win SEC seasons, multiple All-SEC selections and three WNBA Draft picks, the Rebels have re-asserted themselves as a top program in women’s college basketball.
 
TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND, WE’RE BACK!
Entering the 2025-26 season, three key players from last year’s squad are poised to provide leadership for the nine newcomers. Returning starters in Christeen Iwuala and Sira Thienou are primed to showcase their development from the off-season, while J’Adore Young is ready to return to the court after medically redshirting last season.
 
PORTAL POWERHOUSE
Branding herself as the portal queen, when players decide to transfer, Coach Yo loves to prove that a home for them is available in Oxford. Preaching the importance of development, players who decide to come to Ole Miss can see their game taken to a new level. Bringing in eight players from the transfer portal this offseason, the Rebels have been recognized as having the second-best transfer class, according to ESPN.
 
FRESH FACES
Along with bringing in eight transfers, Coach Yo and her staff secured one of the best young talents in Lauren Jacobs to make up this season’s newcomer class. 
 
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
The 2025-26 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Combined this season’s Rebel roster has 470 career DI starts, 15 all-conference selections and eight combined Sweet 16 appearances. Collectively, the team possesses 7,046 career points, 2,749 rebounds, 1,131 assists, 707 steals and 348 blocks. 
 
Individually, Denim DeShields, Cotie McMahon and Kaitlin Peterson have each accrued over 1,000 points thus far in their career. Ole Miss is the only NCAA DI women’s basketball program in the country to bring in a trio of players via the transfer portal who’ve reached the century mark in points.
 
RANKED REBELS
Garnering national recognition in the polls, the Rebels recently came in at No. 13 in the AP, marking the highest ranking following one week of play since Dec. 8, 1992 when the Rebels were at No. 9. Additionally, the Rebels came in at No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, marking the best week one ranking since Dec 8, 1992 where Ole Miss was picked at No. 8.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE
In both the SEC media and coaches’ poll, Ole Miss has been selected to finish sixth overall out of the 16 teams in the SEC. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Ole Miss has received top-six preseason recognition after earning a No. 4 selection in 2023, and No. 5 selections in 2024 and 2022. The Rebels have surpassed expectations four times in the last five years, ending the season higher in the standings than voted on in the SEC Preseason Media Poll. Additionally, both polls placed Cotie McMahon on the Preseason All-SEC Second Team. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME
During the 2024-25 season, the Rebels won all seven nonconference games at the SJB Pavilion, the third time Ole Miss has entered conference competition undefeated at home under Coach Yo. Rebel nation has turned the SJB Pavilion into an intimidating environment for visiting teams, especially in the nonconference slate. Ole Miss has won 32 of its last 35 games at home against nonconference opponents, dating back to the 2020 season. The Rebels aim to build on that success with the seven more nonconference matchups on their home court this year. 
 
STEALIN’ SIRA
Last season, Sira Thienou led the Rebels in pickpocketing balls, earning the most steals per game by any freshman in a power four conference, while also sitting fourth in the SEC and 42nd in the nation with 2.4 steals a game. In conference play, Thienou recorded 47 steals for an average of 2.9 per game.  The Bamako, Mali, native will look to elevate her defensive presense this season to match Coach Yo’s defensive philosophy.
 
GIVE
Every season, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin selects a word for her team to live by, one that embodies their purpose and guides their mindset. This year, that word is “Give.” Coach Yo believes true leadership begins with service, and in today’s college athletics landscape, where student-athletes receive so much, she emphasizes the importance of giving back. Her goal is to prepare her players not only for success on the court, but also for life beyond basketball, where fulfillment often comes through what you give, not just what you get. Ultimately, Coach Yo challenges her team to give their all not just in competition, but also in the classroom and to one another.
 
BUILDING BEYOND SCOTT
Madison Scott had an outstanding five-year career at Ole Miss, consistently elevating her game and becoming one of the most exciting players in the SEC. Nationally recognized for her talent, Scott earned a spot on the 2025 All-SEC Second Team, marking her seventh career conference honor, and was recognized as a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. Additionally, she was awarded the 2025 Gillom Trophy as the best women’s basketball player in Mississippi. 
 
Her eye-popping play led her to earn an invite to the WNBA Draft in New York City, where she was ultimately selected with the 14th pick in the second round by the Dallas Wings, but she now currently plays with the Washington Mystics. Coach Yo and the Rebels will have to navigate the season without the steady leadership and veteran presence of Scott, whose impact on and off the court set the tone for Ole Miss the past half-decade.
 
HISTORY REWRITTEN
Last year, Ole Miss reached the 20-win plateau for a fourth consecutive season and the 22nd time in program history. It marked the first time in the 21st century that Ole Miss has reached at least 20 wins in four straight seasons and first since Van Chancellor led 11 consecutive teams to that mark from 1981-92. Additionally, the Rebels have tallied at least 10 SEC wins in the last four seasons. Coach Yo is the only coach in program history to have at least 20 overall wins and 10 SEC wins in four seasons at the helm.
 
DIALED IN FROM DEEP
In the first game of the 2025-26 season, the Rebels put on a clinic from long distance, draining 13 threes on a 43.3 percent shooting clip. It surpasses last season’s single game best by three and serves as the most since the Rebels clicked on 14 on Dec. 28, 2018, against North Florida. In the first quarter alone, Ole Miss converted five 3-pointers, matching last season’s average in threes made per an entire game.
 
Cotie McMahon paced the team in made threes with four on six attempts (66.7%), followed by Tianna Thompson who made three on four attempts (75.0%). Alongside the leading pair, Debreasha Powe and Sira Thienou each earned two buckets from behind the arc, while Latasha Lattimore and Denim DeShields rounded out the Rebels’ 3-point frenzy with one apiece.
 
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
Ole Miss is off to a historically dominant start on both ends of the court this season. With win margins of +41 against Norfolk State and +39 against Alabama State, this marks the first time in program history that the Rebels have opened a season with a +40-point win margin average through its first two games. Additionally, scoring 87 points in the first game and 84 in the second, Ole Miss has opened its season with two games of scoring at least 80 points through its first pair of games since the 2014-15 season.
 
Season and single game tickets for the 2025-26 campaign are on sale now. Click here to secure yours today or visit OleMissTix.com.
 
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.