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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Cotie McMahon Named to Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List
2/10/2026 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Ole Miss women's basketball's Cotie McMahon has been recognized on the 2025-26 Women's Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List, the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, announced on Tuesday.
This marks the second time that the senior has been honored to the prestigious late midseason watch list, earning the recognition last year at her previous school. Every year, McMahon has advanced further in the selection process for the Wooden Award, making it as far as the midseason top 25 list two years ago.
The Dayton, Ohio, native is no stranger to national acclaim, earning a spot on the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Top 10 Watch List and the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List, among 12 total individual honors this season alone.
McMahon has put together a dominant campaign for Ole Miss, establishing herself as one of the SEC's most reliable scorers. Through 24 games and starts, she leads the team with 19.8 points per game, which is the fourth-best in the conference, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. She is also averaging 5.9 rebounds per contest and paces the Rebels in minutes played at nearly 30 per game.
Her production has climbed even higher in SEC play, where she is averaging 21.9 points per game, the second-highest mark in the league, along with 6.6 rebounds per outing. McMahon is the only student-athlete in the conference to earn SEC Player of the Week honors three times during league play. Her consistent scoring and two-way presence have been pivotal to Ole Miss' success against SEC competition, with the Rebels averaging 74.2 points per game.
Selected by a panel of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 20 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award® All-American Team and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Women's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the late midseason list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
Wooden Award® voters will be invited to rank 10 of the 15 players on the ballot in order of preference when voting opens during the NCAA Tournament. Voters will also consider performances in the tournament's early rounds, players' contributions to their teams, and their character. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.
2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Women's Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List
Raegan Beers – Oklahoma
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Mikayla Blakes – Vanderbilt
Madison Booker – Texas
Jaloni Cambridge – Ohio State
Aaliyah Chavez – Oklahoma
Audi Crooks – Iowa State
Joyce Edwards – South Carolina
Azzi Fudd – UConn
Milaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Rori Harmon – Texas
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Flau'jae Johnson – LSU
Ta'Niya Latson – South Carolina
Cotie McMahon – Ole Miss
Olivia Miles – TCU
Olivia Olson – Michigan
Clara Strack – Kentucky
Sarah Strong – UConn
Mikaylah Williams – LSU
This marks the second time that the senior has been honored to the prestigious late midseason watch list, earning the recognition last year at her previous school. Every year, McMahon has advanced further in the selection process for the Wooden Award, making it as far as the midseason top 25 list two years ago.
The Dayton, Ohio, native is no stranger to national acclaim, earning a spot on the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Top 10 Watch List and the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List, among 12 total individual honors this season alone.
McMahon has put together a dominant campaign for Ole Miss, establishing herself as one of the SEC's most reliable scorers. Through 24 games and starts, she leads the team with 19.8 points per game, which is the fourth-best in the conference, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. She is also averaging 5.9 rebounds per contest and paces the Rebels in minutes played at nearly 30 per game.
Her production has climbed even higher in SEC play, where she is averaging 21.9 points per game, the second-highest mark in the league, along with 6.6 rebounds per outing. McMahon is the only student-athlete in the conference to earn SEC Player of the Week honors three times during league play. Her consistent scoring and two-way presence have been pivotal to Ole Miss' success against SEC competition, with the Rebels averaging 74.2 points per game.
Selected by a panel of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 20 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award® All-American Team and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Women's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the late midseason list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
Wooden Award® voters will be invited to rank 10 of the 15 players on the ballot in order of preference when voting opens during the NCAA Tournament. Voters will also consider performances in the tournament's early rounds, players' contributions to their teams, and their character. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.
2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Women's Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List
Raegan Beers – Oklahoma
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Mikayla Blakes – Vanderbilt
Madison Booker – Texas
Jaloni Cambridge – Ohio State
Aaliyah Chavez – Oklahoma
Audi Crooks – Iowa State
Joyce Edwards – South Carolina
Azzi Fudd – UConn
Milaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Rori Harmon – Texas
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Flau'jae Johnson – LSU
Ta'Niya Latson – South Carolina
Cotie McMahon – Ole Miss
Olivia Miles – TCU
Olivia Olson – Michigan
Clara Strack – Kentucky
Sarah Strong – UConn
Mikaylah Williams – LSU
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