'Lack of Value!' Ole Miss Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin Calls For 'Change' in Fan Support of Women's Sports
The Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball team came away with an 81-70 win over the visiting Florida Gators on Thursday night, but that was not the focus of the head coach's opening statement in the postgame press conference.
Yolett McPhee-McCuin used this opportunity to call for change in the fan support she sees at home games for her program. Ole Miss made the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, but outside of two games this season, the Rebels have not exceeded 3,000 fans in reported attendance at the SJB Pavilion.
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The school reported an attendance of 2,450 on Thursday.
"It should have been packed up in here," McPhee-McCuin said. "How does a team that goes to the Sweet 16, that only has two (SEC) losses, not have an average of 5,000 people in the stands? How? You know what it is? It's the lack of value. And it needs to change. And I don't care who's upset about me saying this, because I'm going to speak the truth."
In recent seasons, Coach Yo's team has been the more successful of the two basketball programs on campus, seeing postseason berths while the men's basketball program was mired in mediocrity. Even so, when she turns on other women's games around the country, she sees packed arenas, and she wants that for her own team.
"It’s disappointing when my team runs out here and (we) have won a whole lot and we don’t get the crowd support that we deserve," McPhee-McCuin said. "And some people will say, ‘Oh, she’s just complaining, she needs to shut up.’ Well, I’m not shutting up. I’m not shutting up. You know why? Because when I turn on the TV, when I look around, when we go to other places, women’s sports is a real thing. And so I’m going to be the voice for that here. Because our community needs to be better, man."
Ole Miss recently released its annual financial report for the last calendar year, showing that women's basketball operated at over an $8 million deficit. While Coach Yo was sure to state that she appreciated the loyal fans who did attend games, she also claimed that you can't put a dollar amount on the level of publicity that her team's run gave the school last season.
In short, she doesn't believe women's basketball is a "waste" at Ole Miss.
"Someone tried to put out a narrative...as if all we do is we're a waste," McPhee-McCuin said. "We’re not a waste. That just pissed me off. And when I walk out and I see my fans, the fans come out, and we can’t get Club Red to come out, that pisses me off. Because why not come out and support us? Why not be a cool school for everybody? Turn on ESPN. There are people out there watching that game. So we’ve gotta catch up man. We’re behind. It’s disappointing."
