Why Coach Yo believes Ole Miss women's March Madness success sets example for her daughters
As she wrapped up her press conference following Ole Miss women's basketball's upset of top-seeded Stanford on Sunday, it was time for coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin to craft an email.
With their 54-49 victory, the Rebels had also won McPhee-McCuin's two daughters, Yasmine and Yuri, an extra week away from school. Ole Miss is heading straight to Seattle, where it will play in the Sweet 16 against Louisville (25-11) on Friday (9 p.m. CT, ESPN). And Coach Yo's daughters are along for the ride.
"I've got to get an e-mail together for my kids, send it to their principals and say, 'See you when I see you, because we going to Seattle,' " a grinning McPhee-McCuin said.
MAKING THE UPSET:Time zones, defense and belief: How the Ole Miss women upset top-seeded Stanford
ORIGIN STORY:'I called them': After Ole Miss women top Stanford, Coach Yo explains how she got Rebels job
COACH YO:With Ole Miss women March Madness bound again, Coach Yo's upbringing holds secret to success
Yuri, 5, is just happy to be tagging along with the Rebels (25-8), according to McPhee-McCuin. But Yasmine, 10, is living and dying with every bucket. Had Ole Miss failed to get over the hump against the Cardinal (29-6), McPhee-McCuin explained, there would have been tears spilled.
McPhee-McCuin has been there, too. She remembers crying with her father, Gladstone "Moon" McPhee – a legendary basketball coach in the Bahamas – when he lost a championship game.
But this is about more than watching a few basketball games and processing emotions for her daughters, McPhee-McCuin said. Life lessons were all around them as they watched their mom lead Ole Miss to its first Sweet 16 since 2007, and the only victory over a top seed in the program's NCAA Tournament history.
The biggest one? They can do this, too.
"You can't be what you can't see," she said. "I really believe that. So my daughters are learning how to be strong and go after dreams and also how to be a wife and how to balance.
"I don't care if she doesn't coach, but what she is learning – what they are learning – is: Let's normalize women in leadership. They are watching my players. They are seeing Coach Chris (Ayers), Coach Bojan (Jankovic) ... treat me in a respectful manner. It's just really good society work, you know what I mean? Because really, that's how it should be, where we all love and respect each other."
McPhee-McCuin shared an emotional moment with her daughters, along with the rest of her family, after the final buzzer sounded.
"I wouldn't want to do this without them being here, little Chris (Ayers) being here," she said. "In our gym, there's little kids running all over the place. So they're all getting a chance to see us do something special."
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Coach Yo sets example for children with Ole Miss' March Madness win
