Junior forward Cotie McMahon (32) stands in between plays at the Buckeyes game against Charlotte on Nov. 12. The Buckeyes won 94-53 at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Matthew Wu | Lantern Photographer
Most of Cotie McMahon’s teammates spent the offseason training at their local gyms.
But McMahon’s offseason looked a little different — she traveled over 6,400 miles to play for Team USA, hoping to sharpen her skills for her upcoming junior season.
This year, McMahon was selected to play for the 3×3 U23 Women’s National Basketball Team. The team traveled to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in early September to compete in the 2024 FIBA U23 World Cup against squads from all over the world.
McMahon said three-on-three matchups create a different game than what she’s used to, but also admitted they helped her significantly improve as a player.
“It’s actually very challenging, but it teaches you a lot,” McMahon said. “I feel like what I’ve learned and what I’ve gotten better at was my defense, just because in three-on-three, you don’t have help.”
Competing with Team USA didn’t just help McMahon strengthen her physical presence on the court; additionally, she said it also helped her develop mental toughness.
“That mental block of, ‘I’m tired, like, I can’t anymore,’ but with three-on-three, there’s no, ‘I can’t,’ there’s no, ‘I’m tired,’” McMahon said. “So really, just locking in mentally and just kind of pushing yourself to kind of continue on, even when you’re tired on the defensive end, has really been, like, a big factor as well.”
Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff agreed that McMahon’s stint with Team USA was beneficial for many aspects of her game play.
“That three-on-three plays to her strength because you give her more space to play in and she’s really effective in that way,” McGuff said. “Different ways to play the game, learn the game, grow her IQ and learn different ways of doing things have been really good for her.”
McMahon’s USA Basketball coach, Christina Batastini, said the fast pace and intensity of three-on-three helped McMahon sharpen her skills, improve her decision-making and enhance her teamwork.
“I think she has a really strong basketball IQ, which is huge, but also pairing that with her physical ability makes her a really unique player,” Batastini said. “She is hypercompetitive, just like her will to win for me was pretty high, and that will to win got us over the top in some really close games that were imperative for us to win.”
In 2023, McMahon was the second leading scorer and fourth in assists for the Buckeyes. Batastini said playing three-on-three requires quick discernment, a fact that only helped McMahon’s offensive game as a whole.
“I think having played three-on-three, you’ll see a more personal and a quicker decision making [McMahon] moving forward,” Batastini said.
McMahon’s team placed first after winning all seven of its games, including the championship Sept. 15, in which they defeated the Netherlands 18-15.
When reflecting on her personal experiences with Team USA, McMahon said she wants to help Ohio State achieve another successful season and take her team deep into the Women’s NCAA Tournament come March.
