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Former Ohio State player Cotie McMahon says PCOS 'swept under the rug'
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- Former Ohio State player Cotie McMahon says PCOS 'swept under the rug'
Former Ohio State women's basketball player Cotie McMahon recently opened up about being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, something she suspected was impacting her life during her time with the Buckeyes .
She said that PCOS led to difficulties she wouldn't be able to deal with until she transferred to Ole Miss.
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In an interview with Andscape , an ESPN platform focused on telling stories of Black identity in sports, McMahon shared that she began dealing with common symptoms of PCOS near the end of her sophomore year.
"I started to notice weight problems," McMahon said. "My body just started to not look how I know that it should. My diet never changed, my sleep was just terrible, I couldn't calm down."
According to the Cleveland Clinic, PCOS is a condition in which a hormonal imbalance occurs when ovaries create excess hormones. Its symptoms include weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, abnormal hair growth and skin irregularities.
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McMahon said she attempted to control her weight change through "extra conditioning." When that failed to help, McMahon said she knew she was dealing with PCOS.
"I just kept saying, 'Hey, I think I have PCOS,' " McMahon said. "It was kind of just swept under the rug."
McMahon never said it was Ohio State sweeping things under the rug. However, the 21-year-old admitted to feeling she had to leave the possibility of having PCOS alone until transferring to Ole Miss during the 2025 offseason.
At Ole Miss, McMahon said she was officially diagnosed.
Ole Miss forward Cotie McMahon is averaging a team-leading 19.4 points while contributing 5.6 rebounds per game.
Following the interview, Ohio State released a statement:
"We take any concern raised by a current or former student-athlete seriously.
"Ohio State is proud to have a world-class medical and sports medicine team, supported by the nationally recognized Wexner Medical Center and Crane Sports Medicine Institute. The health and well-being of our student-athletes is our top priority.
"While privacy laws prevent us from discussing individual cases, we remain confident in the professionalism and clinical standards of our medical staff. We wish Cotie all the best and continued success."
Cotie McMahon played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Ole Miss.
Ole Miss associate director of health and sports Meredith Weaver told Andscape that McMahon advocating for herself helped the program build out a plan to manage her condition while she was playing.
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Since joining the Rebels (17-4), McMahon has averaged a team-leading 19.4 points while contributing 5.6 rebounds per game.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cotie McMahon describes PCOS symptoms while at Ohio State
