Coach Yo, Madison Scott talk SEC awards, Rebels’ postseason outlook
OXFORD – The Ole Miss women’s basketball team finished its regular season Sunday afternoon with a road victory over Alabama to lock-up the No. 4-seed in the SEC Tournament. That is reason to celebrate, but the Rebels also celebrated season awards for two players on Monday.
Guard Angel Baker was named to the All-SEC First team, and forward Madison Scott was not only named to the All-SEC Second Team, but she also made the All-Defensive team.
At her press conference Monday, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin expressed how proud she is of her stars.
“Because we are a super team, we can be easily left out of stuff,” McPhee-McCuin said.
“The fact that those two got recognized is incredible. It shows that we have been developing players. I am really excited for our program.”
Coach Yo on Madison Scott and Angel Baker earning league honors
This now the third straight year that an Ole Miss player has made the All-SEC first team, as Rebel star Shakira Austin made the team in 2021 and 2022.
“It just shows that our program, its foundation is strong,” McPhee-McCuin said.
Scott got emotional when she saw her name on those teams. She said that it was a testament to the hard work she puts in every day.
“It means a lot. Being student athletes, it is not easy. I just want to do whatever I can to help the team. To get those awards just showed me that the sky is the limit. It made me so appreciative.”
Madison Scott
The sky has been the limit for the 2022-23 Rebels in a season that has included many historical achievements. However, the next step for them is the SEC Tournament, and Coach Yo said that the team’s experience will aid them in postseason play.
“We don’t have a lot of firsts in our locker room. We won’t have a lot of first people going to the SEC Tournament. We won’t have a lot of first people going to the NCAA Tournament. I think that makes a difference. Experience is something that we hold on to.”
Coach Yo on the Rebels’ experience this season
While Coach Yo instituted the four-game pod for her team to navigate through the regular season, for single-elimination postseason games, this is not the case.
“We are not looking at pods, we have to go one-game championships,” McPhee-McCuin said.
“We are going to try to win a championship every time we suit up.”
Coach Yo
Scott echoed this sentiment from her head coach about the approach to each game going forward.
“The pods were great for the regular season because it kept us on track, but now, it is win or go home,” Scott said. “We don’t want to go home. We are going to do everything in our power to win.”
Coach Yo is confident her team is incredibly prepared for the postseason and making a deep run in both tournaments.
“One thing that I have enjoyed about this team is being able to say, ‘Here is our situation, here is our plan of attack,’ and we have followed it, and sometimes we have even superseded it. I feel great about where we are at from a physical standpoint and also a mental standpoint.”
Coach Yo
The defense has been the focal point of Coach Yo’s program since she arrived, and she says they will lean on it once again to find success in the postseason.
“Defense takes togetherness and toughness and grit, and it is not the most popular and fun thing to do. That is usually where you build your character. Defense is hard. I want my players to have character, be resilient, [and] not be afraid of tough and embrace toughness. That is what ‘We Defend’ really stands for and what we are about.”
Coach Yo on playing defense
Scott said that this defensive mindset allows the team to be comfortable with not knowing who they will play in their first SEC Tournament game.
“Every road trip, we say that we are going to pack our defense. Regardless of who we play, we are going to be intense. We are going to dictate. We are going to disrupt. We are going to play Ole Miss basketball. We defend.”
Madison Scott on defense
Up Next
The Rebels will look to play defense all the way to an SEC Tournament title starting this Friday. They will face either five-seed Mississippi State or 13-seed Texas A&M this Friday afternoon, with tipoff set for 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 11:00 am (CT) game on the SEC Network.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
