Ole Miss is fielding its 51st women’s basketball team and there haven’t been many more that have gotten off to a better start.
The current Rebels are 19-4 overall after dominating Auburn 71-45 on Monday night. It’s certainly the best start under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin in her eight seasons in Oxford.
No. 13 Ole Miss has an obvious Team MVP candidate for whenever the season comes to an end in March. Cotie McMahon is leading the Rebels in scoring and has been a nearly unstoppable force on the court.
However, there’s another Rebel who has been just as important and vital to the team’s success. Chirsteen Iwuala is establishing herself as dominant player in the paint. She’s registered nine double-doubles this season and ranks seventh in the SEC with 8.6 rebounds per game. She’s also averaging 13.9 points per game, second behind McMahon’s 19.7.
Iwuala recorded her latest double-double against Auburn on Monday night in Birmingham, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. But her impact isn’t always seen in the box score. She’s shown an ability to defend well in the paint on the perimeter. When she’s on her game, the Rebels’ defense is hard to beat.
Easyyy 😮💨@ChristeenIwuala x #HottyToddy x #Give pic.twitter.com/oME3KuX2oK
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) February 3, 2026
The Tigers managed to beat it early in Monday’s game with Iwuala on the court. In fact, the senior from San Antonio, Texas was somewhat responsible, getting beaten twice on drives to the basket.
McPhee-McCuin clearly wasn’t pleased with what she saw and made a substitution, bringing Iwuala off the court. The time on the bench didn’t last long and when Iwuala re-entered the game with 5:12 left in the first quarter, Ole Miss didn’t allow the Tigers to score again in the first quarter and just nine points in the second quarter.
Where Iwuala really made her presence felt was on the board. She had seven total rebounds in the first half, including three offensive rebounds. Her performance was a large reason Ole Miss outrebounded the Tigers 51-23.
It was the second-straight game Iwuala was a dominant presence. Against then-No. 5 Vanderbilt last Friday, she had 18 points and 14 rebounds which earned some praise from her coach afterwards.
“Christine was due for a game like this,” McPhee-McCuin said after beating the Commodores 83-75. “I mean, Christine has been working very hard and not always seeing the fruits of her labor. So today it was really cool to see her lead and also play really well.”
If Iwuala continues playing at this high of a level, expect Ole Miss to achieve its goals and then some.
