NCAA Tournament: Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Draws No. 5 Seed, Will Face Gonzaga in Minneapolis

OXFORD, Miss. — For the fifth consecutive season, the Ole Miss women’s basketball program will take its place in the NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 5 seed in the Sacramento regional and opening play Friday, March 20, against No. 12 Gonzaga at a first-round site in Minneapolis.

The Rebels, 23-11 overall and owners of eight Southeastern Conference victories this season, will tip off at a time and television window still to be announced. Should Ole Miss advance, it would meet the winner of No. 4 Minnesota and No. 13 Green Bay in Sunday’s second round.

The selection marks Ole Miss’ 22nd appearance in the national championship and extends a half-decade run of sustained success under eighth-year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. The Rebels have recorded five straight 20-win seasons, reached the SEC Tournament semifinals in four of the past five years, and, for the first time in school history, notched three victories over top-five opponents during the 2025-26 campaign.

Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon has spearheaded the surge, claiming SEC Newcomer of the Year honors and a spot on the All-SEC First Team. Her development has mirrored the program’s ascent, giving Ole Miss a legitimate star around whom a deep March run can be built.

Historically, Ole Miss owns 12 Sweet Sixteen berths and five Elite Eight appearances across 51 seasons of women’s basketball. McPhee-McCuin, now making her fifth NCAA trip as a head coach, emphasized a simple philosophy after the bracket reveal: “We’re going to be competitive. We’re going to defend, and we’re going to represent the conference and our university at a high level.”

With tip-off in Minneapolis looming, the Rebels will spend the week refining a game plan geared toward neutralizing Gonzaga’s perimeter attack while leveraging their own athleticism and depth. A victory would keep alive Ole Miss’ hopes of adding another memorable chapter to a postseason résumé that already features some of the sport’s most iconic moments.