Who was Nikki McCray-Penson? Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Cause of Death, Facts

Nikki McCray-Penson Wiki – Nikki McCray-Penson Biography

Nikki McCray-Penson, who was a key member of the legendary 1996 Olympic team that launched the United States’ current streak of seven consecutive gold medals, died Friday. She was 51 years old at the time of her death.

During the 1990s, McCray-Penson was a star of the Lady Vols in her home state of Tennessee. She later played in the ABL and WNBA and worked as a head coach in the NCAA.

Nikki McCray-Penson Cause of Death

McCray-Penson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 while she was still on the South Carolina coaching staff. She assisted the legendary Dawn Staley in South Carolina’s championship win in 2017.

McCray-Penson’s cousin, Robert Penson, confirmed that she died overnight as a result of secondary complications related to breast cancer.

McCray-Penson had a long and illustrious career in both the WNBA and the American Basketball League. Before joining the ABL as a professional, she began her career at the University of Tennessee.

“Thank you, my little sister, my friend, my trench partner, my teammate, my fast food snack, my basketball addict, my Olympian partner, my gold medalist, and now my angel,” Staley posted on Twitter along with with a statement. “…Suffer no more Nik Nik.”

With the US women’s basketball team, McCray-Penson won gold medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. Both the WNBA and ABL were founded as a result of the 1996 team. She participated in the ABL and was named MVP in 1997 before switching to the WNBA. As a member of the Washington Mystics, McCray-Penson was named to the league’s All-Star team three times.

She played eight seasons in the WNBA before retiring in 2006. She was an assistant coach at Western Kentucky for three seasons. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.