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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Queen of the Hill: Madison Scott Surpasses Peggie Gillom-Granderson for Most Games Played at Ole Miss
2/11/2025 | Women's Basketball
Madison Scott had solid choices when it came to playing college basketball. The list was impressive, and she narrowed it to five.
"Looking back to my recruiting process, I remember my top five were UCLA, Florida State, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), and Ole Miss," said the fifth-year player for Ole Miss women's basketball. "Honestly I got a feeling here that I didn't get anywhere else. I came on my visit, and we had my vision talk with Coach Yo and the coaches. After that, honestly, I cried. I cried because I got a feeling I'd never gotten anywhere else. I knew, in that moment, that this was the place for me."
Coach Yo is obviously Yolett McPhee-McCuin, in her seventh season as the head coach at Ole Miss. She knew Madison Scott was a special player, and that has proven to be the case.
Scott will end her career having played in more games than anyone who has ever worn the Rebels' uniform in the 50 years of the program's existence. Team 50, it is called, and there are more games to play as the season moves on.
"One thing I love about our team is that we understand our journey is our journey," said Scott, from Indian Head, Maryland, and Bishop McNamara High School, which has a tradition of successful women's basketball teams. "We're competing with these teams, the best of the best. And we're right there in the game.
"We are hungry, and we know how to fight, and we know what it takes to win," Scott continued. "We've lost some games we would love to have won. We've lost some games we honestly should not have lost. But it's helping us build our character. Losing is a form of adversity. It's helping us build that stamina, build everything we need, so when March comes, we're ready. I believe in my team, and I know the work we put in each day."
Scott will soon have played in more games than anyone in Ole Miss women's basketball history. She will surpass Peggie Gillom-Granderson, an Ole Miss women's basketball legend, who played in 144 games as a Rebel. She said Scott has been so important to the program in her time here.
"Madison has been at the forefront of the surge that Ole Miss has made during her time here," said Gillom-Granderson, who was an assistant coach with Ole Miss women's basketball on two previous staffs. "Her improvement and her growth as a player and a leader have been constant and have helped keep Ole Miss women's basketball a consistent performer in the SEC and on the national level. She represents the best of what Coach Yo expects from her student-athletes."
Scott appreciates having gotten to know Gillom-Granderson and attributes many aspects of her own growth to time spent with the former Rebel star.
"Miss Peggie is absolutely amazing," Scott said. "I'm not just talking about her as a player, I'm talking about her now, the impact she has had the five years I've been here. I'm able to see her. I talk to her. I'm able to be around a walking legend. I don't take that for granted. I can't speak enough about her and everything she has done here. My goal has been to make her proud and to try to carry on that legacy. She's helped me with my faith, to draw closer to God. She's just absolutely amazing."
Scott attributes her success and positive outlook to her relationship with God and also her "circle" that has supported her for a long time.
"My circle is very small. I've got Coach E. Her name is Erica Calhoun. She's my second mom. She was my assistant coach in high school. I've known her now for nine or ten years. She came on every (recruiting) visit. She's my rock. I call her for everything. She knows me, honestly, only second to my mom. She is amazing. The next person in my circle is Coach J. His name is Jay Gavin. He's my trainer back home, and he's absolutely amazing. He's who I trained and worked out with growing up. He's big in my circle. He believed in me and helped me on and off the court. Coach E and Coach J were like my basketball parents. They understood the game and helped guide me.
"And my mom, Sakina Scott, of course. Absolutely love her. She sacrificed so much for me to be where I am today. And my grandmother, Miss Pam. Me and my mom were in foster care growing up. And Miss Pam (Queen) was very influential in my mom getting through everything she had to go through. Honestly, she became family. She has been everything I needed and more. And my stepdad, Johnnie Dailey, who has been in my life since I was two. He's been my father figure in my life. He's been absolutely amazing. He came in when I was young and helped raise me."
Still, it is that relationship with God that carries her through good and bad times on a daily basis.
"I've always made decisions based on God, of course, and my circle, and trusting myself as well," Scott said. "Being here for five years is a testament, honestly, to me making the right decision, and God guiding me to make that right decision. And my circle guiding me to make that right decision. It's been a blessing. I don't take for granted being in the same place for five years, because you don't see that often."
Scott also has three more important people in her life that she thinks of every day. Throughout her time at Ole Miss, in which she has already graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in sports administration, it is her siblings that she hopes will also be a success. And she is doing everything she can to help them to become that.
"My three siblings, my hearts - London, Summer, and Zion. Absolutely love them," she said. "They're absolutely amazing. They're my motivation. They're why I get up and work so hard and push so hard, because I want to show them they can do anything they put their mind to. I'm the oldest. They're not into sports. One is really good in arts class, the best drawer you'll come across. And I'm biased. One is really into technology. Their way of getting through college is going to be different from my process. I understand that. I just want to show them they can do anything, and it doesn't have to be a sport. Just anything they put their mind to. I want to be an example of that."
Scott actually already has a non-profit that she is proud of and believes in.
IAmMadiScott.com is where you will find it.
"Our sole mission (of the non-profit) is to give opportunities to youth that, honestly, they can't see," Scott said. "Coach Yo says it all the time, that you can't be what you can't see. I really, really believe that. For me, I notice how many kids I touch or inspire or help or guide just because I play basketball. This is my third year of my foundation. This is heavy on my heart. One of the reasons God put me here was to give back. I would not be where I am today without the love, support, encouragement, and sacrifice of other people. People are always pouring into me. I know God has called me to do the same for the next generation coming up, so that's what I do with my foundation."
Scott said "together" is always better and that teamwork is essential. Her foundation proves that.
"The first year it was based in St. Croix. My goal has been to hit poverty-stricken areas and show them that basketball is the tool I'm using to do this. But it's bigger than basketball. Whatever you want to do, if you apply yourself, it's possible. We can't do anything without each other. Everybody needs somebody. What it's like to be a leader. What it's like to be a follower, because everybody won't be a leader. That's what my foundation does, give kids skills to be successful not only at this camp but also successful in life."
Gillom-Granderson said the program and the community are better for Scott having come this way for college.
"Madi has carved out her own space," she said. "Everyone's journey is unique within the overall program, and setting or breaking records represents what we we do individually as well as collectively as a team. As Madi completes her final season, she will leave her handprints on this program during her era and add to the ongoing traditions of Ole Miss women's basketball."
So as her playing time at Ole Miss draws near to its close, Scott remains steadfast that it was God who led her here to a place that she has grown to love completely.
"I could already tell Oxford was a special place, as soon as I stepped foot here and started my official visit. Honestly, it came from Coach Yo. I believed in her vision for the program. She believed in me, and she presented a great four-year plan that showed a lot of success. She had only been here for like two years, so I took a chance.
"Honestly, it was God. Yes, I took a chance, but also I trusted in God, in God's plan for me. God already knows what's going to happen. God already knows what's coming. I know He wouldn't put me in any situation or any environment that I'm not meant to be in. So I knew I was meant to be here. And I've been blessed and highly favored each year I've been here. I know it was the right decision. I would do it all over again.
"Oxford is so special. It's my home away from home. I've been here five years. I only go home like twice a year. This is my home. People like Miss Peggie, the Oxford community, and our fans, this has turned into my home away from home, and it will forever be my home."
"Looking back to my recruiting process, I remember my top five were UCLA, Florida State, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), and Ole Miss," said the fifth-year player for Ole Miss women's basketball. "Honestly I got a feeling here that I didn't get anywhere else. I came on my visit, and we had my vision talk with Coach Yo and the coaches. After that, honestly, I cried. I cried because I got a feeling I'd never gotten anywhere else. I knew, in that moment, that this was the place for me."
Coach Yo is obviously Yolett McPhee-McCuin, in her seventh season as the head coach at Ole Miss. She knew Madison Scott was a special player, and that has proven to be the case.
Scott will end her career having played in more games than anyone who has ever worn the Rebels' uniform in the 50 years of the program's existence. Team 50, it is called, and there are more games to play as the season moves on.
"One thing I love about our team is that we understand our journey is our journey," said Scott, from Indian Head, Maryland, and Bishop McNamara High School, which has a tradition of successful women's basketball teams. "We're competing with these teams, the best of the best. And we're right there in the game.
"We are hungry, and we know how to fight, and we know what it takes to win," Scott continued. "We've lost some games we would love to have won. We've lost some games we honestly should not have lost. But it's helping us build our character. Losing is a form of adversity. It's helping us build that stamina, build everything we need, so when March comes, we're ready. I believe in my team, and I know the work we put in each day."
Scott will soon have played in more games than anyone in Ole Miss women's basketball history. She will surpass Peggie Gillom-Granderson, an Ole Miss women's basketball legend, who played in 144 games as a Rebel. She said Scott has been so important to the program in her time here.
"Madison has been at the forefront of the surge that Ole Miss has made during her time here," said Gillom-Granderson, who was an assistant coach with Ole Miss women's basketball on two previous staffs. "Her improvement and her growth as a player and a leader have been constant and have helped keep Ole Miss women's basketball a consistent performer in the SEC and on the national level. She represents the best of what Coach Yo expects from her student-athletes."
Scott appreciates having gotten to know Gillom-Granderson and attributes many aspects of her own growth to time spent with the former Rebel star.
"Miss Peggie is absolutely amazing," Scott said. "I'm not just talking about her as a player, I'm talking about her now, the impact she has had the five years I've been here. I'm able to see her. I talk to her. I'm able to be around a walking legend. I don't take that for granted. I can't speak enough about her and everything she has done here. My goal has been to make her proud and to try to carry on that legacy. She's helped me with my faith, to draw closer to God. She's just absolutely amazing."
Scott attributes her success and positive outlook to her relationship with God and also her "circle" that has supported her for a long time.
"My circle is very small. I've got Coach E. Her name is Erica Calhoun. She's my second mom. She was my assistant coach in high school. I've known her now for nine or ten years. She came on every (recruiting) visit. She's my rock. I call her for everything. She knows me, honestly, only second to my mom. She is amazing. The next person in my circle is Coach J. His name is Jay Gavin. He's my trainer back home, and he's absolutely amazing. He's who I trained and worked out with growing up. He's big in my circle. He believed in me and helped me on and off the court. Coach E and Coach J were like my basketball parents. They understood the game and helped guide me.
"And my mom, Sakina Scott, of course. Absolutely love her. She sacrificed so much for me to be where I am today. And my grandmother, Miss Pam. Me and my mom were in foster care growing up. And Miss Pam (Queen) was very influential in my mom getting through everything she had to go through. Honestly, she became family. She has been everything I needed and more. And my stepdad, Johnnie Dailey, who has been in my life since I was two. He's been my father figure in my life. He's been absolutely amazing. He came in when I was young and helped raise me."
Still, it is that relationship with God that carries her through good and bad times on a daily basis.
"I've always made decisions based on God, of course, and my circle, and trusting myself as well," Scott said. "Being here for five years is a testament, honestly, to me making the right decision, and God guiding me to make that right decision. And my circle guiding me to make that right decision. It's been a blessing. I don't take for granted being in the same place for five years, because you don't see that often."
Scott also has three more important people in her life that she thinks of every day. Throughout her time at Ole Miss, in which she has already graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in sports administration, it is her siblings that she hopes will also be a success. And she is doing everything she can to help them to become that.
"My three siblings, my hearts - London, Summer, and Zion. Absolutely love them," she said. "They're absolutely amazing. They're my motivation. They're why I get up and work so hard and push so hard, because I want to show them they can do anything they put their mind to. I'm the oldest. They're not into sports. One is really good in arts class, the best drawer you'll come across. And I'm biased. One is really into technology. Their way of getting through college is going to be different from my process. I understand that. I just want to show them they can do anything, and it doesn't have to be a sport. Just anything they put their mind to. I want to be an example of that."
Scott actually already has a non-profit that she is proud of and believes in.
IAmMadiScott.com is where you will find it.
"Our sole mission (of the non-profit) is to give opportunities to youth that, honestly, they can't see," Scott said. "Coach Yo says it all the time, that you can't be what you can't see. I really, really believe that. For me, I notice how many kids I touch or inspire or help or guide just because I play basketball. This is my third year of my foundation. This is heavy on my heart. One of the reasons God put me here was to give back. I would not be where I am today without the love, support, encouragement, and sacrifice of other people. People are always pouring into me. I know God has called me to do the same for the next generation coming up, so that's what I do with my foundation."
Scott said "together" is always better and that teamwork is essential. Her foundation proves that.
"The first year it was based in St. Croix. My goal has been to hit poverty-stricken areas and show them that basketball is the tool I'm using to do this. But it's bigger than basketball. Whatever you want to do, if you apply yourself, it's possible. We can't do anything without each other. Everybody needs somebody. What it's like to be a leader. What it's like to be a follower, because everybody won't be a leader. That's what my foundation does, give kids skills to be successful not only at this camp but also successful in life."
Gillom-Granderson said the program and the community are better for Scott having come this way for college.
"Madi has carved out her own space," she said. "Everyone's journey is unique within the overall program, and setting or breaking records represents what we we do individually as well as collectively as a team. As Madi completes her final season, she will leave her handprints on this program during her era and add to the ongoing traditions of Ole Miss women's basketball."
So as her playing time at Ole Miss draws near to its close, Scott remains steadfast that it was God who led her here to a place that she has grown to love completely.
"I could already tell Oxford was a special place, as soon as I stepped foot here and started my official visit. Honestly, it came from Coach Yo. I believed in her vision for the program. She believed in me, and she presented a great four-year plan that showed a lot of success. She had only been here for like two years, so I took a chance.
"Honestly, it was God. Yes, I took a chance, but also I trusted in God, in God's plan for me. God already knows what's going to happen. God already knows what's coming. I know He wouldn't put me in any situation or any environment that I'm not meant to be in. So I knew I was meant to be here. And I've been blessed and highly favored each year I've been here. I know it was the right decision. I would do it all over again.
"Oxford is so special. It's my home away from home. I've been here five years. I only go home like twice a year. This is my home. People like Miss Peggie, the Oxford community, and our fans, this has turned into my home away from home, and it will forever be my home."
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