Women’s Basketball Announces Non-Conference Schedule, SEC Opponents

OXFORD, Miss. – (Courtesy Ole Miss Media Relations) Ole Miss women’s basketball has unveiled its non-conference schedule and SEC home/away assignments for the upcoming 2021-22 season, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin announced on Monday.

“After such a challenging season that was full of growth, it was important for us to push ourselves early,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We have huge goals for ourselves this year, and our non-conference schedule gives us a chance to compete against different styles of play. Our schedule has numerous teams with NCAA experience, and our goal is to compete and prepare for conference play.”

The Rebels open with a rapid five-game homestand from Nov. 11-23, beginning with 2021 NCAA Tournament team Belmont making a trip to the SJB Pavilion on Nov. 11. Following that will be tilts against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 14), Lamar (Nov. 16), LA Tech (Nov. 19) and another reigning NCAA Tournament team in Jackson State on Nov. 23.

Ole Miss will then pack its bags and head to the west coast for a two-game stretch in the Bay Area. The Rebels will face San Diego State on Nov. 26 and Cal on Nov. 27 – with both games to be played at Cal and both registering as first-time meetings for Ole Miss.

The Rebels then return home to Oxford for a Dec. 1 contest against New Orleans before a two-game road stretch at Cincinnati on Dec. 5 and Hofstra on Dec. 11. The final home non-conference game of the year will be against Samford on Dec. 17, a rematch from the first round of the 2021 WNIT this past spring – the first victory en route to a historic trip to the WNIT final for the Rebel women.

Ole Miss will close the non-conference season with two high-powered games in West Palm Beach, Florida, against Texas Tech on Dec. 20 and Michigan State on Dec. 21.

Furthermore, the Rebels have also received their SEC home/away designations for the 2021-22 conference season. Coming to Oxford will be Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M, while the Rebels will travel to Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

Ole Miss women’s basketball is coming off a historic postseason run last year, and the Rebels will return a star-studded roster in 2021-22 for Coach Yo’s fourth season. Leading that charge will be Shakira Austin, who dominated in her first season at Ole Miss, winning the C Spire Gillom Trophy while also earning Honorable Mention All-America, First-Team All-SEC, and she was also named a member of the Lisa Leslie Top-10 list. Austin will be joined by the likes of reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, Madison Scott, and SEC All-Freshman member, Snudda Collins, as well as stalwarts Donnetta Johnson and Mimi Reid while they are joined this year by highly-touted newcomers like Angel Baker and Lashonda Monk. Ole Miss went 15-12 overall in 2020-21, which included three top-25 wins, the Rebels’ first trip to the SEC Quarterfinal since 2010, and the furthest postseason run in program history that ended up with an appearance in the WNIT title game.

Season tickets for the 2021-22 season are now on sale. Dates, times and TV assignments for both the non-conference and SEC seasons will be announced at a later date.

2021 Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 11 – vs. Belmont
Nov. 14 – vs. MVSU
Nov. 16 – vs. Lamar
Nov. 19 – vs. LA Tech
Nov. 23 – vs. Jackson State
Nov. 26 – San Diego State (at Cal)
Nov. 27 – at Cal
Dec. 1 – vs. New Orleans
Dec. 5 – at Cincinnati
Dec. 11 – at Hofstra
Dec. 17 – vs. Samford
Dec. 20 – vs. Texas Tech (at West Palm Beach)
Dec. 21 – vs. Michigan State (at West Palm Beach)

2021-22 SEC Home Assignments
Alabama
Arkansas
Georgia
LSU
Mississippi State
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas A&M

2021-22 SEC Away Assignments
Auburn
Florida
Kentucky
Missouri
Mississippi State
South Carolina
Texas A&M
Vanderbilt

(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.