Sira Thineou injury update for Ole Miss women's basketball in NCAA Tournament
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OXFORD — Ole Miss women's basketball guard Sira Thienou spoke two words after Selection Sunday that were good news for the Rebels' March Madness hopes.
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"I'm back," Thienou said March 15 when asked about her injury status.
Ole Miss (23-11) was selected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament on March 15. The Rebels will face No. 12 seed Gonzaga (24-9) in the first round on March 20 (2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2) in Minneapolis.
Thienou, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, has not played since Feb. 17 against Tennessee. She was injured in that game with a bone bruise.
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin identified Thienou's absence as a key reason why the Rebels went on a four-game losing streak to close the regular season.
McPhee-McCuin said that Thienou will be a full-go for the NCAA Tournament. Thienou has been practicing over the last week and "looks great."
Thienou averages 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds still leads the team with 44 steals. It's an obvious boost to have her back, but McPhee-McCuin pointed out a second way her team is better than it was a few weeks ago.
Guard Tianna Thompson and forward Jayla Murray have gotten a bump in minutes in Thienou's absence. All three of Murray's games playing 19 minutes or more have come in March.
"It also looks different because Tianna and Jayla were able to get a tremendous amount of experience," McPhee-McCuin said. "When you think about it, we have depth now. Before Sira got hurt I don't think we had depth. I wasn't really playing those kids."
Thienou said confidence and trusting her teammates are the keys for Ole Miss to go on an NCAA Tournament run. The Rebels are seeking to make the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007, and the first Final Four in program history.
"Everybody is back now," Thienou said. "We need everybody to show up every single day. No step back. There's no more cushion."
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Sira Thineou injury update for Ole Miss women in March Madness