PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Scarlet Knight community continues to mourn the loss of Rutgers women's basketball assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson after her passing on Friday, July 7 at the age of 51.
"Today is a deeply sad and emotional day for everyone who knew and loved Nikki," head coach Coquese Washington said. "Nikki had a big smile and an even bigger heart. She was full of life, energy, and was so much fun to be around. Nikki touched the lives of many because she made it her mission to uplift others and help them achieve whatever dreams and goals they expressed. She was so devoted to her husband and son, and still gave all of herself to everyone in the program. We will miss her dearly but will keep Nikki's memory alive in our hearts."
There is no doubt McCray-Penson made an immeasurable impact on the court with her countless accomplishments such as being a three-time All-Star, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, just to name a few. However, she also had equally as big of an influence off the hardwood, touching the lives of so many family members, friends, teammates and student-athletes, leaving everlasting memories.
McCray-Penson's dedication to the sport of basketball can be seen and felt in all the student-athletes she guided during her 15 years of coaching at the collegiate level. She passed on her knowledge and love of the sport to players and staff at Rutgers from the minute she stepped on campus in the summer of 2022. Her legacy will not only live on with the Scarlet Knights, but with all the programs she had a hand in building.
In the 2022-23 season, McCray-Penson helped her past WNBA teammate and dear friend Coquese Washington set a solid foundation for Rutgers women's basketball. She aided the team in reaching its 1,000th win with a victory over Minnesota (Jan. 12) on the road, becoming the 22nd Division I team and the third squad in the Big Ten to reach the milestone.
McCray-Penson also guided freshman guard Kaylene Smikle in finding success, as she was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team (Media & Coaches) in addition to the All-Freshman team (Media & Coaches). The guard also collected three Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, the most in program history. With McCray-Penson's help, Smikle became the all-time leading freshman scorer in program history, ending the season with 573 points, beating the previous best of 536. She paced the team with 17.9 points per game in addition to averaging 19.5 points in Big Ten play and ranked top 10 in the conference with 56 three-pointers and 69 steals.
A 2020 WBCA National Coach of the Year finalist, McCray-Penson has won championships at all levels of her basketball career. In 2017, she helped to lead South Carolina to its first National Championship in addition to four conference titles and four conference tournament championships as an assistant coach. As a player, she was a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000) and 1998 World Cup gold medalist while competing for Team USA. She led her Columbus Quest team to the 1997 American Basketball League (ABL) Championship. In college, she helped Tennessee win three SEC regular-season championships and two SEC Tournament titles.
McCray-Penson's prolific and decorated playing career earned her a place in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. The three-time WNBA All-Star spent nine years in the league. She scored 2,550 career points while averaging 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Prior to the WNBA, she played two seasons in the ABL, where she earned MVP honors during the 1997 championship season. In 2000, McCray was named to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which advises the President and Secretary of Health and Human Services on improving American's participation in sports and physical activity.
During her collegiate career at Tennessee, McCray-Penson spearheaded legendary coach Pat Summitt's teams to four NCAA Tournament appearances. The two-time All-American garnered SEC Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior, one of just three Lady Vols to ever win the yearly award twice. She helped lead Tennessee to the Final Four in 1995 and earned NCAA All-Final Four Team honors. McCray-Penson was named Best Defensive Player for Tennessee each of her four years between 1992 and 1995 and helped the Lady Vols to a 122-11 record during her career.
The 2020 C-USA Coach of the Year, McCray-Penson finished her third season at Old Dominion in 2019-20, when she led the Monarchs to a 24-6 record, a second-place finish in the conference standings and an RPI ranking of 33 to end the year. It was the second season in a row that ODU won at least 20 games, an accomplishment that hadn't been achieved since 2006-08. Her squad's success was recognized by coaches from around the country, as Old Dominion received votes in the top 25 rankings, something that hadn't happened since 2008. Her defense ranked first in the country in three-point field goals allowed and 15th in scoring defense. Overall, at ODU, McCray-Penson compiled a 53-40 record and coached four players to all-conference honors, two individuals to all-defensive team recognition and two selections for the all-freshman team.
McCray-Penson earned a head coaching job in the SEC at Mississippi State in 2020-21. She coached the Bulldogs to 10 wins before stepping down after one season to focus on her health.
Prior to becoming a head coach, McCray-Penson served on staff as an assistant coach for Dawn Staley at South Carolina, where she helped the Gamecocks claim their first-ever National Championship in 2017. South Carolina earned six-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during her tenure, reaching five Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights and two Final Fours. During her last four seasons in Columbia, she helped lead the Gamecocks to four-straight SEC regular-season championships and three SEC Tournament titles.
Part of South Carolina's success on the hardwood was a result of McCray-Penson's ability to identify talent as the assistant recruiting coordinator. Regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country, she helped land the No. 2 class and the top player in the nation in 2014, A'ja Wilson.
In her first coaching job, McCray-Penson played a big role in guiding Western Kentucky to back-to-back postseason appearances and a 2008 Sun Belt Tournament championship as an assistant coach. She was also the program's head recruiting coordinator and signed one of WKU's top all-time classes in 2007-08.
Both at Rutgers and around the country, McCray-Penson's memory, inspiration and legacy will live on through everyone who loved her and cherished her in their lives.
