A Dallas judge dropped another twist into the college sports eligibility saga Thursday, signing an order that blocks the NCAA, the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey from stopping a group of athletes from returning to college for one more season.
The list includes NFL players, WNBA signees and, for Ole Miss fans, a familiar name: Christeen Iwuala.
Iwuala signed with the Washington Mystics earlier this summer and later joined the Greensboro Groove of the UpShot League. Under the judge’s order, her time on a pro roster can’t be used to prevent her from coming back to college. If the NCAA or SEC want to stop her for any other reason, they have to argue it in court.
So now the question becomes simple: should Ole Miss bring her back?
Before getting to that, let’s lay out the facts.
Iwuala in the pros
Iwuala’s professional résumé isn’t very long. She played in two preseason games for the Washington Mystics after going undrafted in the WNBA draft. Her stats from those two games are:
- April 25 vs. Minnesota: 6:43 played; three points, three rebounds, one steal; 1-for-4 from the field and 1-for-2 at the line.
- May 3 at Atlanta: 3:08 played; two points, one rebound, one assist; 1-for-3 shooting.
She didn’t make the Mystics’ regular-season roster, but she did land another opportunity. Iwuala joined the Greensboro Groove in the inaugural UpShot League, a domestic developmental league designed to give players more reps and exposure.
In 11 games with the Groove, Iwuala averaged 14.3 minutes, 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds per game and made 50% of her shots.
Does Ole Miss have room?
From a strict numbers standpoint, yes.
Ole Miss currently lists 12 players on its roster. The NCAA allows teams to carry up to 15. That means the Rebels have three open roster spots. If the staff wanted to bring Iwuala back, the math wouldn’t be an obstacle.
Should Ole Miss bring her back?
The Rebels have just two players back from last year’s team, guard Lauren Jacobs and center Desrae Kyles. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin signed 10 players from the transfer portal, a signing class that ranked as one of the best in women’s basketball.
The best players of the portal class, though, are guards. Talaysia Cooper, Jada Richard, Jade Tillman, Jaida Civil, Maya Anderson and Knisha Godfrey are all guards. Anderson is listed as both a guard and forward and two others, Doneelah Washington and Rachael Okokoh, are listed as forwards. Kyles and Emily Howard are the two centers on the roster.
There isn’t a glaring need in the front court, but there’s a lot of unproven talent. Iwuala would be a known commodity.
So, really the question comes down to whether or not McPhee-McCuin thinks the current front court is as good as Iwuala. But only she and the rest of the program know that answer.
Sitting on the outside, yes, Ole Miss should welcome Iwuala back with open arms.
Iwuala was one of the best Rebels last season. She started 35 games, averaged 27.4 minutes, 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She also had 22 blocks and 45 steals.
The Rebels could benefit from having that stat line on the team. They could also benefit from someone with significant playing experience at Ole Miss. That would help both on and off the court.
Yes, Iwuala is a professional athlete. Yes, NCAA rules would prevent her from returning to college. Yes, it would be a bitter pill for Ole Miss fans to swallow since there’s been near-unanimous support against pro players returning to college.
But coaches are always looking to improve their roster and win more games. If Iwuala’s eligibility survives the inevitable NCAA appeal and further litigation, she would do that for McPhee-McCuin.
So, yes, Ole Miss should welcome her back. Will it though? Only one person knows that answer for certain and McPhee-McCuin has no reason to us what that answer is.
