Nikki McCray-Penson,a former WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, passed away at age 51.
The famous women's college basketball coach received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, and at the time, she was also allegedly suffering from pneumonia.
Former WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold winner Nikki McCray-Penson passed away at age 51.
Although she was apparently suffering from pneumonia and had been given a breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, the basketball player’s cause of death has not yet been determined.
The news of McCray-Penson’s passing was verified by Rutgers University, where she served as an assistant women’s basketball coach last year. In a release, the university stated that the basketball community was grieving the loss of the “trailblazer.”
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According to a news release from the university, Coquese Washington, the head coach of Rutgers, said, “Today is a deeply sad and emotional day for everyone who knew and loved Nikki.” “Nikki had a heart as huge as her smile. Nikki McCray-Penson,a former WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, passed away at age 51. She was vibrant, vivacious, and a lot of fun to be around. Because Nikki made it her mission to inspire others and support them in realising their aspirations, she had a profound impact on a great number of people’s lives.
In Rutgers’ most recent season, Washington and McCray-Penson collaborated for one year; this was just one stop in her 16-year coaching tenure.
“She was so devoted to her husband and son, and yet still gave all of herself to everyone in the programme,” Washington concluded. “We will miss her terribly, but we will always carry Nikki’s memory with us.”
In 1991, McCray-Penson began her illustrious basketball career at the University of Tennessee.
She spent two seasons in the American Basketball League after being a star in college, where she was an MVP and took home the league’s title in 1997.
She went on to play nine seasons in the WNBA, where she was a three-time All-Star while playing for the Washington Mystics. She earned two Olympic gold medals while competing for Team USA in 1996 and 2000. During her stay in the league, she also participated for the Chicago Sky, San Antonio Silver Stars, Indiana Fever, and Phoenix Mercury.
Following her career as a WNBA standout, McCray-Penson transitioned to coaching women’s college basketball, beginning in 2006 at Western Kentucky University. Three seasons later, she joined Dawn Staley, a friend and member of her Olympic squad, on the faculty at the University of South Carolina, where she assisted the group in capturing their first national title in 2017.
Staley stated on Twitter, “I have to publish this with the hardest of hearts. “Thank you, little sister, friend, comrade, fast food snacker, basketball addict, fellow Olympian, gold medallist, and now my angel. God has you now, so stop suffering, Nik Nik.
The legendary women’s basketball coach most recently held two head-coaching roles, at Mississippi State University from 2020 to 2021 and at Old Dominion University from 2017 to 2020.
McCray-Penson was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She is survived by her husband Thomas and son Thomas Jr.
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Following graduation from college, McCray-Penson was selected for the American national team, with whom she trained and toured from autumn 1995 until the Atlanta Summer Games in 1996. The ESPN 30 for 30 programme “Dream On,” which was published this year, detailed how the popularity and success of that American squad served as a launching pad for the WNBA in 1997.
The WNBA issued a statement saying, “Our hearts are sad as we learn of Nikki McCray-Penson’s loss. At this time, Nikki’s family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers.
Following graduation from college, McCray-Penson was selected for the American national team, with whom she trained and toured from autumn 1995 until the Atlanta Summer Games in 1996. The ESPN 30 for 30 programme “Dream On,” which was published this year, detailed how the popularity and success of that American squad served as a launching pad for the WNBA in 1997.
The WNBA issued a statement saying, “Our hearts are sad as we learn of Nikki McCray-Penson’s loss. At this time, Nikki’s family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers.
