GREENVILLE , SC - MARCH 07 - Ole Miss's Cotie McMahon (32) during the 2026 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas Longhorns at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville , SC on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Photo by Noelle Iglesias/SEC

Why Cotie McMahon Deserves 2026 Gillom Trophy After Stellar Season

BY Taylor Hodges

Cotie McMahon has spent the entire season making a pretty simple argument with her play. Now she has a chance to make it official.

The Ole Miss senior was named a finalist for the 2026 Gillom Trophy on Tuesday, and it feels like the award is lining up to be hers.

The field is strong. It always is. Madison Francis at Mississippi State has been terrific as a freshman and has a real case of her own. Jakayla Johnson at Southern Miss has put together a standout year too.

But when you look at overall impact, consistency and the way a player changes the ceiling of a program, it is hard to find anyone in the state who has done more than McMahon.

This season has been one long list of receipts for her.

She made the Cheryl Miller Final Five. She landed on the Wooden Award National Ballot. She earned a spot as a WBCA Regional Finalist. She has piled up 26 individual honors, which is the kind of number that tells you she has been in the national conversation from November through March.

Add in SEC Newcomer of the Year and First-Team All-SEC, and the picture gets even clearer.

The All-America nods only strengthen the case. USA TODAY named her an Honorable Mention pick. The Sporting News put her on the Second Team. USBWA and the AP both recognized her as well.

When every major outlet agrees you are one of the best players in the country, it becomes tough to argue against you being the best player in your own state.

And then there are the numbers.

McMahon has averaged 19.5 points on 45.1 percent shooting, along with 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 30 minutes per game. She raised her production in SEC play, which is usually where great seasons separate themselves from good ones.

Her 21.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in conference games show a player who not only handled the grind but thrived in it.

She also passed a legend along the way. With 34 double digit scoring games, McMahon now holds the single-season program record, surpassing Peggie Gillom Granderson. She sits at 703 total points, the fourth most in a season by any Rebel. That is the kind of résumé that tends to sway voters.

Francis will make this interesting. She has been electric for Mississippi State and has the kind of long term upside that will keep her in this conversation for years.

But this award is about this season, and McMahon has been the most complete, most reliable and most impactful player in Mississippi.

The winner will be announced April 15 at the Golden Moon Casino in Choctaw.

If the season has been any indication, McMahon should be the one walking away with the trophy.

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