There’s a difference between adding talent through the transfer portal and actually transforming your program with it. Ole Miss didn’t just land Cotie McMahon last offseason, it changed its ceiling.
And every week, the SEC keeps reminding everyone of that fact.
McMahon picked up her third SEC Player of the Week honor in the past month, a streak of dominance that feels less like a hot stretch and more like the natural order of things. She’s now tied for the most weekly awards in the league this season and stands alone as the only player to earn three during conference play.
This is exactly why you go into the portal. This is why you take big swings.
McMahon arrived in Oxford with a résumé full of Big Ten accolades — six-time Freshman of the Week, Big Ten Player of the Week, a reputation as a matchup nightmare — but what she’s doing now is something else entirely. She’s become the heartbeat of a team off to the best start of the Yolett McPhee‑McCuin era, a 19-4 group that suddenly looks like it belongs in every national conversation.
And this latest award? It’s just more evidence that Ole Miss didn’t just add a player. It added a star who changes outcomes.
Look at the week that earned her the honor. Against No. 5 Vanderbilt, McMahon didn’t just show up. She took over. Twenty-seven points, three assists, four rebounds, and a near-perfect night at the free‑throw line.
That win marked her second victory over a top‑five opponent this season, something Ole Miss had only done twice in its entire program history before she arrived.
Then came Auburn. Another team-high scoring performance. Another night where she dictated the terms of the game. Another reminder that when Ole Miss needs someone to steady the offense, create mismatches, or simply take control, McMahon is the answer.
She now has 13 games with 20-plus points, tying her for the 11th-most in a single season by any Rebel.
That’s the thing about portal additions: you hope they bring their best with them. McMahon brought her best and then leveled up.
This is what a program-changing transfer looks like.
The SEC Player of the Week plaque is nice. But the real story is what it represents: proof that Ole Miss won the portal, and proof that Cotie McMahon is becoming one of the most important players in the conference.
And if the past month is any indication, she’s nowhere close to done.
