Cotie McMahon, Ohio State’s sophomore standout, has a history with college basketball superstar Caitlin Clark, even if she wasn’t searching for it.
Ohio State and Iowa have a declared rivalry that could see them meeting in the women’s March Madness Final Four in a few weeks, adding more fuel to the McMahon and Clark story.
TSG interviewed Cotie McMahon ahead of the 2024 College Basketball Women’s tournament. We discussed the Buckeyes’ chances in the tournament, her admiration for LeBron James, the future of college basketball, and more.
In the eyes of casual fans, McMahon was the supporting actress in one of the most historic moments in college basketball. A technical foul against her allowed Clark to tie and surpass the NCAA scoring record just a few weeks ago.
For true fans of the Big Ten, Cotie McMahon is one of the most promising players in the conference. She’s the one who will surely carry the Ohio State banner in this and many future tournaments.
Ohio State and Iowa faced off twice this season, splitting honors with one win each. However, the Buckeyes’ victory was more than just another moment. It marked the best game in McMahon’s young career, recording 33 points and 12 rebounds in the 100-92 overtime victory against the Hawkeyes.
“I think from this season to last season, I feel like my jumper has definitely improved. I’m still working on getting it consistent, but I definitely have one now. And last year, I wasn’t even looking to shoot the pool.
I’m very proud of where it’s at now, but obviously it has room to improve and then still just making sure that I get my three-point consistently, but you know, I have plenty of time to do that.”
McMahon’s point average has decreased by one point from 15.1 PPG in 2022-23 to 14.1 PPG this season. However, she has increased her value in rebounds, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, up from 5.5 in the previous season.
McMahon: “I’m the Biggest LeBron James’ fan”
Being active in scoring and rebounds results from emulating one of the greatest players in history, LeBron James.
“I had a LeBron James comforter set. I had all his posters. I had the blankets, the little figures. I had it all. The shoes. So, LeBron James was definitely somebody who really impacted me on and off the court.”
That impact across multiple areas helped Ohio State register four more victories than the previous year. The Buckeyes finished with a record of 16-2 at the top of the Big Ten standings in the regular season.
However, the team also closed the season with two losses, including a surprising defeat against Maryland in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. Cotie, however, is not worried.
“We kind of just draw out the noise. Honestly, we don’t really know what’s being said about us as a team. All we know is, you know, what is being said when we’re in a huddle or in a locker room. So, I feel like as long as we stick to our game plan and stick to the drawing board, I mean, we’re going to be fine.”
A Potential Matchup With Caitlin Clark and Iowa
Ohio State is the 2nd seed in Region 3 of the Women’s March Madness. If both schools win their games, there might be a rematch for Cotie McMahon and the Buckeyes against Caitlin Clark and Iowa for a spot in the final.
A year ago, McMahon won the Freshman of the Year award in the Big Ten. But she also saw her dreams of winning the conference tournament ending at Iowa’s hands in the final.
Cotie had a slight incident with Clark in that game, as part of the story we’ve already mentioned. McMahon shoved Clark and got called for a technical foul.
Many, however, talk about how Caitlin Clark flopped on the play. For McMahon, her duel with Clark is not an individual rivalry. In fact, she admires everything Clark has done to attract public attention to the women’s tournament.
“I give credit where credit is due. Caitlin Clark, she is a great player. She is almost like… I don’t even know. Like she’s almost not human when she’s on the court.
I mean, you don’t just shoot from half-court naturally, um, without working for it. So, I mean, the effort and the work that she puts into the game, I feel like she deserves it for sure”.
