The Final AP Top-25 Poll: Where the Ole Miss Rebels Women's Basketball Program Landed

The Rebels rallied into the Top-20 of the final AP Poll, begin critical offseason in Oxford.

Mar 7, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin reacts to closing the scoring gap against Texas Longhorns during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Yolett McPhee-McCuin and the Ole Miss Rebels are fresh off of a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament with all focus now shifting towards a pivotal offseason.

After continuing to raise the bar in Oxford, McPhee-McCuin believes there's a new standard for the Rebels moving forward.

"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."

The next step for the Rebels is to attack the NCAA Transfer Portal and stack talent for the 2025-26 season.

Ole Miss has reeled in three newcomers to this point with the program remaining on the hunt for the top talent to make their way to Oxford.

"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."

Now, with the 2024-25 season in the rearview mirror following the UCONN Huskies' National Championship victory, where did the Ole Miss Rebels land in the final AP Top-25 Poll?

Final AP ranking of the season‼️ pic.twitter.com/wJ0iUC7uMI

— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) April 7, 2025

The final AP poll of the season can be seen below:

(Parentheses are first place votes)

1. UConn Huskies (31)
2. South Carolina Gamecocks
3. UCLA Bruins
4. Texas Longhorns
5. Southern Cal Trojans
6. TCU Horned Frogs
7. Duke Blue Devils
8. LSU Tigers
9. NC State Wolfpack
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
11. Oklahoma Sooners
12. Maryland Terrapins
13. Kansas State Wildcats
14. North Carolina Tar Heels
15. Tennessee Lady Volunteers
16. Kentucky Wildcats
17. Ole Miss Rebels
18. Baylor Bears
19. Ohio State Buckeyes
20. Alabama Crimson Tide
21. West Virginia Mountaineers
22. Florida State Seminoles
23. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
24. Oklahoma State Cowboys
25. Michigan Wolverines

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Quarterback Confident He's "The Best" QB in the 2025 NFL Draft

Top-10 Quarterback in America Locks in Ole Miss Visit

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels Confirm Spring Game Plans in April

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.