"I wish we didn't have the conference tournament because all we do in the SEC is beat each other up,"McPhee-McCuin saidSunday following a 74-57 loss to Kentucky.
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"And if you look at the history of our league, we always have anywhere from four to five to six teams in the Sweet 16 because this is a really good league. But when we're in here fighting night in and night out, it's tough, and you can lose at any point."
The Ole Miss coach pointed to Vanderbilt's 76-74 loss to unranked Georgia on Feb. 15, daysafter beating Texas, as an example of just how tight the competition is within the SEC. Vanderbilt's win should have secured a top seed in theNCAA Tournamentseedings. However, the loss to the Bulldogs now puts the Commodores' No. 1 seed at risk. McPhee-MCuin says Georgia was prepared to protect its home court."If you win one on someone's home court, you coming [out of] there with some bullets and scratches," she said. "You just don't get to walk into people's gym and win. That's not how it works."
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
2025: Connecticut Huskies
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)
2023: LSU Lady Tigers
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2021: Stanford Cardinal
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)
2016: Connecticut Huskies
(Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
2015: Connecticut Huskies
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
2014: Connecticut Huskies
(Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports)
2013: Connecticut Huskies
(Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)
2012: Baylor Bears
(Chris Humphreys, US PRESSWIRE)
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2010: Connecticut Huskies
(Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)
2009: Connecticut Huskies
(Scott Rovak, US PRESSWIRE)
2008: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(David Butler II, US PRESSWIRE)
2007: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
2006: Maryland Terrapins
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
2005: Baylor Lady Bears
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
2004: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2003: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2002: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
2001: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2000: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
1/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
1/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
2/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2025: Connecticut Huskies
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
3/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)
4/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2023: LSU Lady Tigers
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
5/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
6/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2021: Stanford Cardinal
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
7/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
8/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
9/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)
10/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2016: Connecticut Huskies
(Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
11/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2015: Connecticut Huskies
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
12/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2014: Connecticut Huskies
(Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports)
13/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2013: Connecticut Huskies
(Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)
14/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2012: Baylor Bears
(Chris Humphreys, US PRESSWIRE)
15/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
16/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2010: Connecticut Huskies
(Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)
17/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2009: Connecticut Huskies
(Scott Rovak, US PRESSWIRE)
18/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2008: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(David Butler II, US PRESSWIRE)
19/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2007: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
20/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2006: Maryland Terrapins
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
21/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2005: Baylor Lady Bears
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
22/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2004: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
23/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2003: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
24/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2002: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
25/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2001: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Elsa, Getty Images)
26/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2000: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
McPhee-McCuin also noted how "deep" the SEC is, with nine teamscurrently ranked in the top 25. She said Ole Miss has to focus on going 1-0 during each remaining game in the regular season. She says that mindset starts with playing Tennessee on Tuesday, LSU on Feb. 19 and South Carolina on Feb. 22.
"People from the outside, what do you want them to do? They have to reward the numbers, right? We don't get to play certain ― everybody in our league is just really, really good," McPhee-McCuin said. "So what we have to do is we gotta win games, steal a couple on the road ... and then we gotta protect home court.
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"I do believe ... that every team that goes to the NCAA Tournament will be a tough out."
