OXFORD, Miss. — Cotie McMahon’s arrival in Oxford was less a ripple and more a seismic jolt, the kind of off-season news that reverberates across women’s college basketball.
When the All-Big Ten forward from Ohio State announced her transfer to Ole Miss, it sent a clear signal: the Rebels are staking a claim as a serious contender in the SEC and beyond.
McMahon’s decision capped a transfer portal cycle defined by high stakes and even higher expectations. Ranked the No. 3 overall player in the transfer portal by ESPN, McMahon was one of the most coveted prospects in the country as a proven scorer, defensive anchor, and natural leader.
For Ole Miss, snagging her signature was more than a win. It was validation of a program on the rise under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. It’s also making noise nationally.
The move was, by McMahon’s own account, driven by a sense of fit and trust.
“For me it was Coach Yo,” McMahon said. “When you have a head coach and a staff as a whole that just wants to pour so much into you right away, I just thought that was an immediate green flag.”
For McPhee-McCuin, now entering her eighth season at Ole Miss, the recruitment of McMahon was as much about character as it was credentials.
“I am elated that she gets a fresh start with the opportunity for a strong finish here in the Sip,” the coach told Ole Miss sports media.
McMahon’s résumé speaks for itself. Over three seasons at Ohio State, she started all 97 games, racked up nine All-Big Ten honors, including four first-team selections.
She also put her name in the Buckeyes’ record books, ranking 19th in points (1,484) and 24th in rebounds (535).
In her junior campaign, she put up 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, leading a squad that won the Big Ten regular-season title and made deep NCAA Tournament runs.
Her versatility and experience will be invaluable on a Rebels team that’s been on a steady upward trajectory.
Under McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss has earned four straight NCAA Tournament berths and two Sweet 16 appearances in the last three years.
As McMahon noted, the decision to leave Columbus wasn’t fraught with second-guessing.
“It wasn’t really tough for me,” she said. “I felt confident in my decision, especially with the coaching staff that we have here. Speaking of Coach Yo, she made it very comfortable for me. It wasn’t very hard.”
McMahon joins a transfer class that’s been hailed as one of the best in the nation.
Alongside newcomers like Latasha Lattimore from Virginia and Jayla Murray from Wichita State, the Rebels have reloaded with talent and depth, aiming to build on last season’s Sweet 16 run..
“We’ve already gelled really well,” McMahon said. “We’ve all already bought into everything that Coach Yo preaches and practices. All of us are very strongly led by faith as well, and I feel like that’s also where we bond and we connect as sisters.”
The excitement around McMahon’s transfer isn’t just limited to Oxford. National analysts and fans alike have pegged her as a difference-maker.
“Really good fit for McMahon, in my opinion. Ole Miss is looking dangerous,” wrote Yahoo Sports’ Talia Goodman.
But there are deeper stakes for McMahon personally. After a year marked by both triumph and adversity, she was occasionally at the center of media scrutiny at Ohio State—she sees Ole Miss as a place for reinvention.
“Last season there was a little bit of misunderstanding as far as who I was as a person,” she said. “Coach Yo just saw me for something completely different than the media tried to paint me as.”
That sense of trust and renewal is at the heart of what McPhee-McCuin preaches, and it may be the spark that lights a new chapter for both player and program.
For McMahon, the move is about more than just basketball.
“Everything that they practice and preach I think is needed for me to learn something new and extend not only my game,” she said. “She [Coach Yo] just told me as long as I buy in and just trust her, she’s going to take really good care of me.”
It’s a message that resonates with a new generation of athletes looking for meaning and mentorship, not just minutes and points.
The SEC gauntlet won’t get any easier, but for Ole Miss, the addition of McMahon is a statement of intent.
With her scoring ability, rebounding prowess, and on-court leadership, the Rebels are poised to make waves in the conference and beyond.
