Gonzaga rolled back the days against Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s Ole Miss, but not the good ones. Three years ago, they were blown out 71-48 in the first round and this time the scoreline read 81-66. At one point, they even trailed by 33 points in the fourth quarter. Ole Miss dominated the boards with 51 as opposed to 36 for the Bulldogs. They were able to hit only 28% of the shots from the field and just 6% from the three-point line. However, after the game, the Gonzaga boss, Lisa Fortier, pointed to some excessive physicality from Ole Miss.

Defense was the mantra for Yolett McPhee-McCuin. The Rebels forced the Bulldogs into committing 21 turnovers, resulting in 23 points for Ole Miss. 14 of those turnovers were Ole Miss steals. Five Rebels finished the game with multiple steals and they also protected the rim with 9 blocks. But the way they did it did not go smoothly with Fortier. 

“Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier says the physicality of Ole Miss was a lot in this game: “There were a couple of plays where Lauren was being bear-mauled…and that was different than what she’s used to.” Coach Fortier goes on to say that she thinks that the physical style of play in today’s game is much more common in the SEC,” wrote the Rebel Walk, an Ole Miss reporter. These comments were not received with kindness, as the Ole Miss fanbase has rained down criticism on Fournier. 

Ole Miss Fans Sound Off On Lisa Fortier After Her “Disgusting Language”

“Disgusting language to describe Yo’s team play,” accused a fan. “These are micro-aggressions! Like, Ole Miss is just the better team!” Another pointed out the specific word many fans took offense to. “Bear-mauled”? Are we so incredibly for real??? Words matter and that is awful stuff.” 

To put it simply, using an animal in the same sentence as competitive players does not feel appropriate to some. It’s an overblown rhetoric. To them, it’s a subtle way to imply that Ole and Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s team do not play with the right spirit. However, it’s important to understand what she said in the complete statement. 

She further said, “That’s what happens when you play in the NCAA tournament. Every team that you play is really good or really big or really athletic or really hot, maybe all of those things.” So, she gave Ole Miss and Coach Yo their due but the officiating difference remained a sticking point. 

The WNBA has long been talked about for overly physical basketball. At this point it has become a part of their identity. These same players will go to a physical league and if they need to really get a trailer of what awaits them, this style is a required one. Other fans pointed out the implications from this comment. 

“And this is how it starts,” a fan wrote. “They’ll say things like this and now Ole Miss will get reffed a different way come the next game. Straight out of the Lisa Boulder (Bluder) book” What the fan is referring to is Bluder’s 2023 comments on LSU after their 2023 Finals loss. 

“I can’t comment on the officials,” Bluder said postgame. “It’s very frustrating because I feel like I can’t talk to them. They won’t even listen. That’s what’s frustrating; there wasn’t even a conversation that could be had.” Often, fans interpret these as pressure tactics on officials to change their ways in the future. This is a clash of ideas. 

“Is the coach’s job to get the team ready for physicality for any of these kids who has who works with the team developers or has their own personal trainers it’s their job to get you ready for physicality that means something’s lacking in your training,” commented another fan. Yet, the criticism of SEC is consistent with not only Lisa Bluder. Many coaches across the country have pointed out this difference. 

“It’s just appalling what teams do to her now,” Geno Auriemma said of Dawn Staley’s physical South Carolina in 2023 after Huskies guard Lou Lopez Senechal had bruises on her body from the game. “It’s not basketball anymore. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not basketball.” Excessive physicality causes injuries, something we don’t want. While the wording from Fortier might not be the best, her argument might be right to some. It’s an everlasting debate that will seemingly continue forever.