Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Rises to No. 19 in AP Poll Following Impressive SEC Tournament Run
OXFORD, Miss. — Just a week ago, Ole Miss looked like a team fighting simply to remain inside the Top 25.
After dropping four consecutive games to close the regular season, the Rebels slid to No. 24 in the AP Women’s College Basketball Poll — their lowest ranking of the year.
Those questions didn’t last long.
Ole Miss answered them emphatically in Greenville, South Carolina, turning in one of its most impressive stretches of basketball at the SEC Tournament.
The Rebels opened tournament play with a commanding 73–57 victory over Auburn, setting the tone with aggressive defense and balanced scoring. The Rebels followed that performance with an even more impressive win, knocking off No. 5 Vanderbilt in an 89–78 battle that showcased both their defensive pressure and offensive firepower.
That momentum carried Ole Miss into the semifinals, where the Rebels faced No. 4 Texas. While Ole Miss ultimately fell short, the game was far more competitive than the final margin suggested, with the Rebels battling deep into the contest before the Longhorns pulled away.
Still, the overall performance in Greenville made a strong impression, and AP voters took notice.
Ole Miss climbed five spots in the latest AP Top 25, landing at No. 19 as the Rebels now shift their focus to the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin believes the SEC Tournament showed exactly what this team is capable of when it plays its brand of basketball.
“People saw what we did to Auburn and Vanderbilt. They saw how we fought back in this game,” Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said after Saturday’s loss to Texas. “It was a two-point game late, and it was much closer than the final score shows. We’re going to be a tough out. (Texas) Coach Vic (Schaeffer) even said that to me in the handshake line.
“We’re going to defend, we’re going to compete, and we’re going to represent our conference and our university at a high level. The committee will do its job, and we’ll deal with whatever comes our way.”
Now the Rebels turn their attention to Selection Sunday, set for March 15, where they will learn their NCAA Tournament destination.
For McPhee-McCuin, the expectations remain ambitious.
“My goal is to win a national championship. To do that you have to go to the Elite Eight and the Final Four, and I haven’t done that yet,” McPhee-McCuin said. “But think about it this way: when you reach the Sweet Sixteen, that means there are 16 teams left in the entire country out of more than 300.
If the Rebels replicate the level of play they showed in Greenville, they could become one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament field.
Ole Miss has already proven it can beat elite opponents. Now the Rebels will get their chance to show they can make a deep March run.
Complete AP Women’s Basketball Top 25 Rankings
- UConn 33-0
- UCLA 31-1
- Texas 31-3
- South Carolina 31-3
- LSU 27-5
- Vanderbilt 27-4
- Iowa 26-6
- Duke 24-8
- Michigan 25-6
- Oklahoma 24-7
- Ohio State 26-7
- West Virginia 27-6
- Louisville 27-7
- TCU 29-5
- North Carolina 26-7
- Kentucky 23-10
- Maryland 23-8
- Minnesota 22-8
- Ole Miss 23-11
- Michigan State 22-8
- Baylor 24-8
- Notre Dame 22-10
- Princeton 24-3
- Georgia 22-9
- Texas Tech 25-7
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. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
