‘Coach Yo’ tests positive for COVID-19

Yet another high-profiled Bahamian sportsperson has contracted COVID-19.

On the heels of receiving a four-year contract extension from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) to coach their women’s basketball team, and on the verge of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) that gets underway on Friday, Yolett “Coach Yo” McPhee-McCuin has tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19.

It is unclear how and when the popular Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball coach acquired the virus and how long she will be unavailable for team duties. As required by guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she is quarantining at home and will miss at least the first few games of the WNIT for the Lady Rebels.

“It is with great regret that I have to announce that this past weekend I tested positive for COVID-19,” McPhee-McCuin said in a statement. “My coaches and players are primed and ready to play, and it is my hope that I can rejoin them once I complete my protocol. Let’s continue to support our young women as we are blessed to compete in the postseason.”

After a progressive regular season in which they finished with a .500 or better overall record for the first time since the 2016-2017 season, and beat three of their Southeastern Conference (SEC) foes who are actually in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, McPhee-McCuin and the Rebels were selected as one of 23 at-large teams to the subdued 32-team WNIT event. The Rebels (11-11, 4-10 SEC) are scheduled to open play the Samford University Bulldogs (14-9, 11-2 Southern) this Friday at 6 p.m. at Collierville High School in Collierville, Tennessee. They play out of the Memphis Regional. The Bulldogs won the Southern Conference regular season title but lost to the East Tennessee State Buccaneers in the first round of the conference’s postseason tournament.

Should they advance, the Rebels will play their second round game on Saturday, and the regional final is set for Monday – all at the same location.

“Although we didn’t get into the 64 (NCAA Tournament), I am still super proud of my squad. After not winning a conference game last year to beating some of the teams mentioned tonight shows our trajectory. I’m wishing the SEC teams best of luck. We have the best league in the country,” McPhee-McCuin said on Facebook. “Our goal now will be to win the NIT! Postseason is incredible for our young squad and I’m encouraged to know that every team that has done well in the NIT has gone dancing the following year. Can’t skip steps ya’ll! We will represent! #NoCeilings. Love my team! Don’t want to coach anyone else!”

This is the Rebels first postseason appearance since the 2016-17 season when they lost in the first round of the WNIT, and their 25th total postseason appearance. All-time, the Rebels hold a 4-7 win/loss record in the WNIT, advancing as far as the third round and doing that twice, in 2005-06 and again in 2014-15.

The Rebels experienced their best season in McPhee-McCuin’s three years at the helm, notching three ranked victories, four NET top-50 wins, and had several other narrow ranked losses and a run to the SEC quarterfinals for the first time since 2010. Bahamian point guard Valerie Nesbitt was a vital part of the growth this season, starting 10 of 22 games and averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 assists per game.

The Lady Rebels defeated then 13th ranked Arkansas in the second round of the SEC Tournament before falling to the nationally number 14 ranked Tennessee Volunteers (16-7, 9-4 SEC) in a close game in the quarters, 77-72.

The WNIT has been a full 64-team postseason tournament since 2006. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament field was cut in half and it implemented a regional model like the NCAA Tournament.

McPhee-McCuin helped transform the Lady Rebels into a squad to be reckoned with this year, turning around a program that produced just one conference win the season prior to her arrival in 2018 and helping to build a winning culture. 

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