Ready or not, the spotlight is on No. 17 Ole Miss women’s basketball.
With the Rebels’ football team reportedly set to be in attendance, along with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Thursday night’s game against No. 7 LSU is huge.
When your football coach texts you first thing in the AM to say he’s pulling up with the fellas Thursday!!!! 💙❤️😁🏈🏀
— Coach Yo (@YolettMcCuin) February 18, 2026
It’s a great opportunity for the Rebels to get back within the top 16 and be in position to host a NCAA Regional. To do that, though, they’ll need help from their fans.
“We need more support, and we’re going to need it on Thursday against No. 7 LSU,” coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said after Tuesday night’s win against No. 21 Tennessee. “Crowd support matters. It really does. LSU had a chance to go to Mardi Gras tonight while we fought for 40 minutes. The only thing that’s going to help us get through that game is our fans. We need them.”
Ole Miss will need to pull out all of the stops to knock off a Tiger teams that played as well as some of the best teams in the nation.
Here’s everything to know about Thursday’s game.
The Opponent: LSU
LSU comes in looking every bit like the top‑10 team its ranking suggests.
The Tigers have been overwhelming on both ends of the floor and sit top‑10 nationally in 13 different statistical categories. The headliner is the scoring: they lead the country at 95.7 points per game, and their bench accounts for nearly 40 of those.
Flau’jae Johnson remains the centerpiece. She entered the year as one of the SEC’s most complete returning players, and she’s still producing across the board at 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists. She’s no longer top‑10 in the league in assists, but she’s still top‑10 in everything else.
The backcourt around her is just as important. Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley both average 13.1 points per game, giving LSU three reliable scoring options on the perimeter. Williams leads the team in assists at 3.7 per game, while Fulwiley’s 3.2 steals per game not only tops the roster but also leads the SEC and ranks 10th nationally.
Inside, Amiya Joyner anchors one of the best rebounding teams in the country. She’s pulling down 7.3 boards per game and adds almost 10 points a night. LSU’s rebounding margin (plus‑18.5) is the best in the nation, and they’re grabbing 48.7 rebounds per game as a team
And then there’s the depth. All but one player on the roster has appeared in at least 20 games, and Kim Mulkey doesn’t hesitate to use her bench. That group is scoring 39.7 points per game on its own, which makes LSU one of the hardest teams in the country to wear down.
How to Watch: No. 7 LSU at No. 17 Ole Miss
- Who: No. 7 LSU Tigers (22-4, 8-4 SEC) at No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels (21-6, 8-4 SEC)
- When: 8 p.m., Thursday
- Where: SJB Pavilion, Oxford, Miss.
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: LSU leads the all-time series 43-23
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 85, LSU 77 (March 2, 2025)
- Last time out, Rebels: def. No. 21 Tennessee, 94-81
- Last time out, Tigers: lost to No. 3 South Carolina, 79-72
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Cotie McMahon, 20.5 ppg
- Rebounds: Christeen Iwuala, 8.6 rpg
- Assists: Cotie McMahon, 76 (2.8 avg.)
- Steals: Sira Thienou, 44 (1.6 avg.)
- Blocks: Latasha Lattimore, 58 (2.1 avg.)
LSU Top Performers
- Points: Flau’jae Johnson, 14.1 ppg
- Rebounds: Amiya Joyner, 7.3 rpg
- Assists: Mikaylah Williams, 96 (3.7 avg.)
- Steals: MiLaysia Fulwiley, 84 (3.2 avg.)
- Blocks: MiLaysia Fulwiley, 30 (1.2 avg.)
Student-Athlete Availability Report
LSU
Out
- #15 Meghan Yarnevich
- #16 Kailyn Gilbert
Ole Miss
Out
- #0 Sira Thienou
- #4 Jayla Murray
Odds, Spread, Totals
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- LSU: -11.5 (-112)
- Ole Miss: +11.5 (-118)
Moneyline
- LSU: -700
- Ole Miss: +410
Total
- Over: 148.5 (-114)
- Under: 148.5 (-114)
