Ole Miss Women's Basketball Sees Multiple Rebels Enter the NCAA Transfer Portal

The Ole Miss Rebels wrapped up the 2024-25 season on Friday in the Sweet 16 following a loss to the top-seeded UCLA Bruins in Spokane.

Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and Co. will now enter a critical offseason in Oxford with the program looking to reconstruct the roster.

"I think we have put ourselves in the position to be a perennial Sweet 16 team. Now it's going to be up to the support that we get to be able to move beyond that. Talent matters. A lot of people don't give any -- every time I hear about our team, I hear about how tough we are," McPhee-McCuin said.

"I never hear about coaching. And I don't understand it, because I don't have All-Americans on my team, and every team we play, they have four or five All-Americans. So clearly, from a coaching perspective, something is being done right."

For the Rebels, according to McPheee-McCuin, the next step is adding pieces via the NCAA Transfer Portal to help compete deeper into the NCAA Tournament.

"Now the next level for us to move forward is to be able to do what UCLA did. Okay, they have been going Sweet 16, Sweet 16. What did they do? They go get Janiah Barker and bring her off the bench," McPhee-McCuin said.

"She's an All-American. They go get Lauren Betts and let her play. Timea Gardiner. Like, they went and got pieces that allowed them to move forward."

McPhee-McCuin was transparent about the next steps in building a National Championship caliber roster in Oxford.

The quick answer: Stack proven talent via the portal and watch the number of wins grow.

"The next step for us is to be able to do the same in the portal, because freshmen ain't doing it, I'm just telling you. So we have to be able to have the support to be able to go and get what we need so that we can move forward," McPhee-McCuin said.

"But at minimum I think we should be a Sweet 16 team. Anybody that's looking at us that has interest, that is what they expect, from the conversations we've been having. But that's just not enough for me. I'm not one of those coaches that, I'm not going to sit here and say, Oh, you know, it's all about the kids, it's all about the kids.

"Yeah, but I have dreams, too, and I want to be a Final Four coach. And in order to do that -- and I want players that want to be a part of the Final Four, and this group did, all right? But this is -- I'm young in this, and we're just getting started.

"And so the next step is to get a Janiah Barker out the portal (laughing). To get a Lauren Betts out the portal. Because that's what Cori did and now they're going to the Elite 8."

Now, the Rebels have created roster spots in Oxford following a handful of players electing to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to The Rebel Walk.

The Departing Rebels: Five Ole Miss Players Hit Portal

Mariyah Noel - Guard

The 5-foot-11 sophomore will depart Oxford after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal following the 2024-25 season.

Noel, a Kansas native, appeared in 19 games during the season while averaging 2.2 points per game for the Rebels.

Fatumata Djalo - Guard

Djalo will depart Oxford after one season with the Rebels following her true freshman campaign. She averaged 0.4 points per game in a little over five minutes a night.

Ole Miss WBB has had five players enter the transfer portal today.

Mariyah Noel
Fatumata Djalo
Kharyssa Richardson
Rhema Collins
Jite Gbemuotor
— T.J. (@TJOxley1) March 30, 2025

Kharyssa Richardson - Forward

Kharyssa Richardson has elected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after a 2024-25 season where he played in 9.9 minutes per game while putting up averages of 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds a night.

Other Departures:

Rhema Collins - Sophomore Forward

Jite Gbemuotor - Freshman Forward

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