NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL 4 SEMIFINAL - OLE MISS VS LOUISVILLE

March 24, 2023

Yolette McPhee-McCuin

Myah Taylor

Marquesha Davis

Climate Pledge Arena

Ole Miss Rebels

Sweet 16 Postgame Media Conference

Louisville - 72, Ole Miss - 62

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student-athletes.

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Yeah, I mean, if you had asked me in -- if you had asked me in November, Coach, you all lost 61 percent of your starters, your offense, and a lottery pick, but we think you're going to go to the Sweet 16, I would have checked you to see if you were on drugs. Honestly, I had a conversation with my AD and, you know, as a head coach, we try to do -- I tried to warn him like, look, we're going to need time. I don't know what this year's going to be like. I think we can get to the tournament, but -- and that would be a big win for us.

But this team felt different, and throughout the whole season fought, got better, learned, trusted, bought in, and believed in everything that we were asking. And as we continue to do well and we lose by a controversial call versus Utah in the Bahamas, and then we go to Oklahoma and we have them on the ropes, I started to believe as much as they did, if I'm being completely honest.

So for us to be here with a chance to go to the Elite 8 against a team that was primed and playing really good basketball, like us, but more so on the offensive end, but with the experience that they had, us knocking off Stanford, spoiling the party, we can only be proud. Everybody knows who Ole Miss women's basketball is and I don't know that they knew who Ole Miss women's basketball was before this, and that's because of team 48.

So I mean, hat's off to Louisville. I thought they played a complete game. They looked like the more experienced team, and just expect -- let's normalize Ole Miss being on these type of stages because there's truly no ceilings.

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll open it up to questions.

Q. That fourth quarter you cut it down to five and they just seemed every time to make that right play to get it back up there. You thought maybe one more stop could have gotten you guys even closer and had maybe a different outcome?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Yeah, I felt that way. I didn't feel like we had control of the game at any point, and that's different for my team. I think the lights got bright and there were a lot of times I didn't even know who I was coaching. Like, when do we give up 20 points in a quarter? Like, that's uncharacteristic. Look at our box scores from the last 15 games. Like, that just don't happen.

The fact that we couldn't get stops in transition, I just felt like it just took too much for us to even cut it down to five. I did not feel like we had control. Even when we were down 19 versus Arkansas, like, I felt like we could get back in the game. This was not the feeling that I had.

Q. What do you hope that your players take from this experience, either the ones returning that can help you continue to build the program moving forward or even those who leave and will take this experience on to the rest of their lives?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, for me, we just had so much fun. We had a blast this season. We went to the Bahamas, hung out, spent Thanksgiving down there. I mean, we have really enjoyed this journey. And this team, I've never had this much fun at Ole Miss coaching a team. And coaches, we will never admit to it, but sometimes we hate our teams. I don't feel that way. I absolutely love team 48. Incredible people.

I hope that -- you know, initially it was kind of rocky because we had a lot of new faces and it took some time to trust. So hopefully we could get the trust factor a little sooner so that we can start to gel a little sooner and get some of those big wins in the non-conference and not wait for a Stanford, you know, to decide that we want to get like a huge win.

So that's what I hope. The new standard for us is Sweet 16, and I think that that's fair. We're going to -- I'm the Queen Pen in the portal. I've got five star-studded freshmen coming in and I'm about to do damage in the portal. So we'll be back.

Q. Myah, you came here from State and we talked about the fact that you kind of -- you were kind of thrown into this different sort of team and you hit the ground running, and I remember you telling me that you wish you had another year. Just what has this team meant to you and what has this ride been like?

MYAH TAYLOR: Yeah, this team has just been a breath of fresh air for me. Coach Yo has really pushed me to embrace my journey and to write my own story, and I really feel like I did that here at Ole Miss.

To my teammates, just got to go back and watch this. This year with the things we've been able to do has just been incredible. People counting us out. We wrote goals down. Some of 'em that -- one of them was being ranked. We didn't get ranked, but see where we are now. We made it to the Sweet 16. So I think -- which is not a dis. Hey, I mean, we took it as fuel. We kept going.

But Ole Miss basketball doesn't stop here. I truly believe Coach Yo is going to -- like she said, she's the queen of the transfer portal. We're transferred you here. So I have no doubt that she's going to go in and get some amazing players. I have no doubt that my teammates that are coming back, like Marquesha, Madi, everybody that's coming back are going to continue to level up, continue to get better, and Ole Miss is going to be back for sure.

Q. What you just said about Coach Yo challenging you to write your own story, what do you feel like the story you wrote is? How does that go?

MYAH TAYLOR: That's a good one. It's so many different things. I can't even just pinpoint anything just right now. I know I've had a lot of people that doubted me, a lot of people that, you know, didn't want me to come to Ole Miss. But I can just truly say that she's taught me so much, not just on the court, in life. We have big things for me outside of basketball that I can't wait to step into, my next journey, whether that's basketball or whatever I decide to do. But just to be me, to be present. So for that, I'm just so grateful to have the authentic relationship with her.

Q. Myah, you mentioned what this year kind of meant to you. At the end of last year when you were deciding what you were going to do, where you were going to go, and whatnot, when you ultimately decided on Ole Miss, I'm sure you had a vision for what that year would be like. How would you compare what you thought it would be compared to what you actually experienced this year?

MYAH TAYLOR: The crazy thing is I remember I came on my visit to Ole Miss and we were sitting down at -- what was it called?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: The bowling Ally.

MYAH TAYLOR: The bowling Ally. And we were talking and me and Coach Yo's goal for this team was to get past the first round of the tournament. I think we did that. We made it to the Sweet 16. So I definitely think that what I came here to do I did, of course with the help of my teammates. So I couldn't be more proud of team 48. Team 48 shook the world. I think we put the country on notice. I think the love and the support from just people all over the nation has just been amazing. Even our Bahamian family came out and supported. So, like I said, Ole Miss basketball is on the map now.

Q. You talked about the future and when you get back home and the end of the season, but what about tonight? What about the rest of the evening? For both of you, what are your plans for this evening? How are you going to be talking with your other teammates and taking this night and reflecting back?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, we're not going to watch film, Queen. (Laughing.)

MARQUESHA DAVIS: Well, I guess we'll spend this evening just continuing to be together and enjoy the time that we have left with each other, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. We'll excuse the student-athletes and take questions for coach.

Q. As you listened to Myah or other players reflect on you and this season, just how does that make you feel?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, I have a little joke with the team, and sometimes young people, if you don't let them know your intentions, they can think all kinds of stuff. And so I always walk into the locker room, and I said, Before you all get any ideas, like, I got two beautiful kids, I'm happily married, and I got a little money in the bank. This ain't for me. This is for ya'll. Coaching is my ministry. One of the things that I hope to do is to teach, develop, and inspire. At first, it was just young people, but now anybody I come into contact with.

So to hear Myah say that, I know what she means. Like, she's leaving more confident. She's leaving with a plan. A month ago we met and we talked about her plan after basketball during a bye week. So my players understand that basketball is a tool to open an incredible amount of doors, but basketball is what they do. It's not who they are. So I was proud to hear that because when I recruit, I make promises to players that they're going to graduate, they're going to win championships, we're going to equip them with the tools and skills to be successful in life, and they're going to have a great experience. And that is how I judge my job and my staff's job for the year. So it sounds like we did pretty good.

Q. I was hoping you could speak to Angel, another fifth-year senior coming into this program the last two years, what she's brought this season and the grit that she's had.

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Angel's been a joy to coach. Just remembering when she came in how timid she was, how unsure she was of herself because she was at Wright State. But what I will remember the most was how willing she was to trust me and our staff and allow us to pour into her, and she's really had my back the whole way. Angel's going to have a great career playing basketball. And so she's someone that hopefully she comes back and visits and pours into the other players. But she literally was an angel for this program and I'm really happy for her.

Q. Why do you like the portal so much? A lot of coaches whine about it nonstop.

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Not me. Anybody who is whining about it is going to be out of the business in two years. Remember I said that. You better evolve or you're gone, all right? And the portal is a part of life, baby. So I just embrace it. I've got five freshmen coming in, and so people try it use it against me, oh, she just wants portal kids. I have five freshmen coming in. Now, they're going to be really good. But the portal allows you to level the playing field, and I just think that that's important and that's the way it's going.

I'm also in favor of the portal because freedom of choice. I'm for the -- and I make wrong decisions all the time. I bought a Lexus. I was ready to take that thing back after two weeks because I should have gotten a hybrid. As soon as I filled that tank up, I knew I made a mistake. I can't go in the portal. I'm still stuck with the damn RX, okay?

These are young people. Give them a chance to correct their wrongs, you know? Freedom of choice. But I do think anybody who doesn't want to be a part of the portal that can will be extinct. Remember I said that.

Q. You mentioned the lights being bright in your opening statement. You feel like that was the setting? Was that Louisville?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: No, no, no. Louisville's a good team, but come on, guys, we've played good teams all year. You ever heard of South Carolina? The stage, Sweet 16, it was our first time, our players wanted to do so well. Sometimes -- human nature is a beast, man. I just felt like we just couldn't get ahold of the moment and settle in like I wanted us to. So I'm not taking anything away from Louisville, but I thought in the grand scheme of things -- I mean, listen, we're in a really nice hotel. I mean, life has really been posh. So I just think it was the moment when we walked in there, in this incredible arena, I thought it was overwhelming for my group. But we'll get used to it. We kind of like the feeling, so obviously we want to come back.

Q. Speaking of getting used to it, where do you see your team, and if you look into a Crystal ball and think of five, 10 years down the line?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, my AD is in here, so I was taught to undersell and over-deliver. But we'll be back. I don't know where, but I know now that we've had a taste of the Sweet 16, we'll love to go beyond that. And that is the goal. And I think we have done it the right way. I think -- I don't think we're going too fast. It's almost a perfect story for it to end where it is right now. Sometimes you could go too far and then all of a sudden next year we lose in the second round and they want me gone, you know?

So I think the pace and what the program is building is really good and actually we're two years ahead. But I like where we're at, and I think we could sustain it.

Q. You touched on it there a little bit, but you said before, the Sweet 16 is a new standard. What do you need to do between now and November to ensure that that standard is met?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Well, first of all, we were winning until my Mississippi guys showed up. I just want to put that -- no. I need to get on the redeye. It's contact period, baby. We got to bring people on campus. We got to recruit. Like, this is a gift and a curse. We're playing, but there are a bunch of other programs that are recruiting right now. So I'm excited about getting on the plane and getting to work. The exposure that we've gotten has been incredible. We got to capitalize on this. I'm really excited about finishing up this recruiting class.

Q. Obviously Myah was up here a little earlier. Can you just talk about the coach-point guard relationship?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: Let me tell you something. Myah is the most stubborn person I've ever coached. So I had to really put in some work to get her to buy in and trust. But she's one of the most incredible people, young people, that I've had a chance to mentor. She's going to be so successful in life. She's just a pro. I think pros are professionals, like, star-studded people. And that's what we talk about, just not on the court, she's a pro in life. So I think our relationship will be everlasting. I've got three weddings I'm going to in this off-season from former players. I'm excited about Myah and Angel and Slim and Jordan and our relationship in the future, for sure.

Q. You talked about a couple of these players, but overall when you look back on this crew, going through so much with all these players, what are you going to remember the most about this team and this journey that y'all went on this year?

YOLETT McPHEE-McCUIN: I think I'm going to remember the love we had for each other. Like I'm not a feeler, but my team is, they're full of feelers. We had a staff, a team retreat and we brought someone in to analyze our team. And all of the feelers were on this side. And I damn near cried, because it was my whole team. But they softened me up. And they taught me how to be a better coach and to meet my players where they're at. And when I tell you this has been my best experience, probably in my 10 years of being a head coach, I mean it. And I just love this team and I'm going to be so much better because of them.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, coach.