SPORTS SECTION E
Thursday, March 19, 2026
‘VJ’ EDGECOMBE - E2
‘Coach Yo’ leads Rebels into March Madness
ON THE RISE: Mississippi head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin reacts during an NCAA college basketball game against Texas in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament, on March 7, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net YOLETT “Coach Yo” McPhee-McCuin will once again carry Bahamian representation into March Madness as she leads the Ole Miss Rebels into the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Ole Miss secured its place in the field for a fifth consecutive year under McPhee-McCuin, continuing a run that
has re-established the programme among the consistent contenders in women’s college basketball. The Rebels enter as the No. 5 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region and will face No. 12 Gonzaga in the opening round on Friday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30pm with the game set to air on ESPN2. The winner will advance to the second round to face either No. 4 Minnesota or No. 13 Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Ole Miss enters tournament play with a 21-10 overall record and an 8-8 mark in Southeastern Conference action. The SEC is widely regarded as one of the most competitive conferences in the country, and the Rebels’ ability to navigate that schedule has been central to their postseason positioning. “We’re just grateful. It’s hard to win, and it’s hard to get to the tournament,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I certainly don’t take it for
granted. Not everyone gets to dance in March, and the fact that we’re able to do that gives me a great amount of gratitude and appreciation for all involved.” The Rebels’ path into the tournament included a late-season challenge. Ole Miss dropped its final four games of the regular season before regaining form in the SEC Tournament. The team responded with wins over Auburn in the opening round and Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals,
advancing to the semifinals before falling to No. 3 Texas. That stretch, McPhee-McCuin said, helped refocus the group while also highlighting the importance of depth heading into March. “I think my team is really focused. The week we had to get healthy was huge for us, and now we have depth because of the girls I was forced to play,” she said. With nearly two weeks between the SEC Tournament and the NCAA opener, Ole Miss has had time to recover and prepare
for a new opponent outside of conference play. “I know the team will be ready to come out and be ready to play someone outside of the Southeastern Conference,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I think our league has prepared us to play whoever, whenever and wherever.” The Rebels’ consistency under McPhee-McCuin has been one of the defining stories of the programme in recent years. This year’s
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Landmark WNBA labour deal paving the way for the first million dollar players By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A landmark new WNBA collective bargaining agreement was reached in principle early yesterday morning that will give the league its first million dollar players. There's still a lot of work to do between now and the start of the regular season on May 8, however. Lawyers on both sides are finalising the term sheet for players and the league's Board of Governors to approve, which should be done in the next day or so. The union will have informational sessions with its players to walk them through key terms, answer questions and make sure they understand what the deal means for them. It will then get put to a vote with a majority needed to ratify the CBA. The league's Board of Governors will then need to approve the deal before it becomes official. Then the sprint to the start of the season begins.
Expansion draft First up will be the expansion draft for the two new teams — Toronto and Portland. Rules regarding who the current teams will be able to protect and how the draft will work are still being figured out. The draft is expected to take place right around the Final Four. The league had an expansion draft last year for the Golden State Valkyries, but that was just one team and most of the players weren't free agents. The 13 other teams will submit a list of players they are protecting to the Tempo and Fire, who will then figure out who they will chose. Free agency and college draft More than 80% of the league are free agents this year as players had signed deals that were going to expire last year. There are only two veteran players that aren't under rookie contracts who are signed for this season.
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