Former Gamecock WBB Assistant Nikki McCray-Penson Passes Away
Dawn Staley and South Carolina's Women's Basketball program lost a piece of themselves on Friday morning, as news began to circulate that former Gamecock assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson, who had dealt with health issues in the past, passed away at the age of 51. The Tennessee native joined Staley's inaugural staff in 2008 and remained with the program until the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, the same season where South Carolina captured their first-ever national title.
Nikki first made her mark in women's college basketball with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, where she played collegiately and won two SEC Player of The Awards, along with two All-American nods in 1994 and 1995. She then played for the WNBA's Washington Mystics, where she was named an all-star on three occasions. McCray-Penson also had a decorated international career, winning two gold medals, including one with the renowned 1998 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team. This lengthy résumé led to Nikki being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
After her time in Columbia, Nikki took head coaching jobs at Old Dominion between 2017 and 2020 before taking the same position at Mississippi State after Vic Schaefer left for Texas. McCray, however, had to step down after just one season in Starkville due to health concerns reappearing. She spent this past season as an assistant coach at Rutgers, coaching alongside former WNBA teammate Coquese Washington.
Nikki McCray-Penson is survived by her husband, Thomas Penson, and her son, Thomas Nikson Penson.
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