For Ole Miss player Cotie McMahon, PCOS diagnosis has meant finding a new normal

Ole Miss senior forward Cotie McMahon has been in the basketball limelight since leaving high school.

The Class of 2022’s fourth-ranked wing, according to ESPN, McMahon spent three years at Ohio State, where she averaged 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists before transferring to Ole Miss this season.

McMahon has been the rock of the 18th-ranked Ole Miss team (17-4 overall, 4-2 SEC), leading the Rebels in minutes played (29.2) and points per game (18.7), while simultaneously managing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, PCOS is a set of symptoms caused by a problem with a woman’s hormones. Symptoms include weight gain, irregular periods, ovaries that are large or cystic, and extra body hair. McMahon began experiencing what she called “weight problems” at the end of her sophomore year at Ohio State.

“My diet never changed. My sleep was terrible. I couldn’t calm down,” McMahon said.

At the time, she did not recognize herself, she said, leaving her feeling isolated. She began doing research to determine whether she had PCOS. She also attempted to work with Ohio State’s staff doing extra conditioning, but she noticed no change.

“I was in fight or flight mode,” McMahon said.

She entered the transfer portal, and Ole Miss head women’s basketball coach Yolette “Coach Yo” McPhee-McCuin took a chance on her.

“I had no understanding of [PCOS],” McPhee-McCuin said. “I just know that she needed to be heard.”

She focused on disarming McMahon by showing her vulnerability. In turn, McMahon began trusting “Coach Yo,” whom she saw as a maternal figure. They have since formed a strong relationship. 

“The amount of love that [McPhee-McCuin] expresses,” McMahon said with a smile, “she met me where I was at.”

When McMahon arrived on Ole Miss’ campus, Meredith Weaver, the associate director of health and sports performance at Ole Miss, said McMahon did “a really great job of advocating for herself,” which allowed the staff to move swiftly. McMahon was assessed and given a specific plan to help manage her PCOS.

“[Ole Miss was] ready and prepared to get [McMahon] here and get her all the tests that she needed,” Weaver said.

The plan includes nutrition management and extra care from the team’s medical staff, as well as strength and conditioning. McMahon, who previously felt she would have “to figure it out on [her] own,” now has an entire staff of people listening to her concerns and acting on her behalf.

With management of her PCOS ongoing, McMahon is showing high productivity in the field – even helping her team beat top 5 opponents. On Thursday, she recorded a 33-point, 12-rebound double-double in a 82-61 win against Missouri, tying her career high in points. She also has received national recognition, including being named to the Wooden Award women’s midseason top 25 watch list. The annual award is given to the most outstanding player in college basketball.

“I just had to find myself again,” McMahon said. “That’s really what it was.”

McMahon sat down with Andscape and ESPN commentator Ari Chambers to discuss her journey with PCOS and the support she has found within the women’s basketball program at Ole Miss.

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