Ole Miss Women's Basketball Star Captures Iconic SEC Newcomer of the Year Honor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ole Miss women's basketball's Cotie McMahon has been named the 2026 SEC Newcomer of the Year and recognized as a First Team All-SEC honoree, the conference announced on Tuesday.

This marks the third consecutive year McMahon has been named to a conference postseason first team, as she earned All-Big Ten First Team recognition the past two seasons. It is also the second individual conference honor the senior has won, as she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023.

McMahon is the first Rebel to be selected to the First Team All-SEC since Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis in 2024. She is the first Ole Miss player in program history to win Newcomer of the Year, as this is only the second season the SEC has recognized the award.

McMahon has provided a spark to the Ole Miss offense in her first and only season in Oxford, earning SEC Player of the Week three times during conference season. Much of this recognition comes from the fact that she is second in the SEC in scoring during conference games, tallying an impressive 21.0 points per game, while adding an average of 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest.

Another one, thank you 👏

Cotie has been recognized as a 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗦𝗘𝗖 honoree!

🔗 https://t.co/yjc6KVMlS4 @cotiemcmahon23 x #HottyToddy x #Give pic.twitter.com/pwkby7VxKV
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) March 3, 2026

Across the entire season, McMahon averages 19.9 points a game on a 45.3 percent shooting clip, while additionally grabbing 5.4 rebounds and dishing 2.9 assists per game.

She has been recognized for 15 awards and watch lists this season, serving as finalists for the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Cheryl Miller Award and other honors.

Starting in every game for Ole Miss, McMahon now has 17 games of at least 20 points this season, tying for the third most in a single season by any Rebel ever and is the most by a Rebel since 2009-10. McMahon has reached double-digit points in 29 games this season, which is the most by a Rebel since 2009-10.

McMahon also reached the 600-point mark for the overall season in the regular season finale, making her the seventh Rebel all-time to ever do so. At 615 points this season, she's also the first Rebel since 2009-10 to reach that statistical achievement.

First-team and second-team All-SEC honorees, All-Freshman team, All-Defensive team, along with Player, Coach, Newcomer, Freshman, Defensive Player, 6th Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year were chosen by the league's 16 coaches.

Coaches cannot vote for their own team or players and ties are not broken.

The complete 2026 SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards follow.

That's our 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! Congratulations Cotie!! 🤩

🔗 https://t.co/yjc6KVMlS4 @cotiemcmahon23 x #HottyToddy x #Give pic.twitter.com/5GbOw5knkw
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) March 3, 2026

Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Karly Weathers, Alabama
Player of the Year – Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Freshman of the Year – Aubrey Galvan, Vanderbilt
Newcomer of the Year – Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Defensive Player of the Year – Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Sixth-Woman of the Year – MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU
Coach of the Year – Shea Ralph, Vanderbilt

First Team
Liv McGill, Florida
Dani Carnegie, Georgia
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Flau'jae Johnson, LSU
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

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