Nikki McCray-Penson, who played her final pro season in the WNBA with the Sky after a storied career that began at the University of Tennessee, died at 51. The news was announced Friday.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist played four years for the Lady Vols under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, during which time she helped lead the program to three SEC regular-season titles, two conference tournament titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four appearance in 1995. She also was named an All-American and SEC player of the year in her final two seasons at Tennessee.
‘‘Coach got you,’’ former Sky star and fellow Tennessee alum Candace Parker shared on Instagram with a photo of McCray-Penson and the late Summitt holding her 1996 Olympic gold medal.
After her college career, McCray-Penson was named to the U.S. women’s national team in 1995, which largely has been credited for leading to the inception of the WNBA in 1997.
McCray-Penson was named the MVP of the American Basketball League in 1997 and led the Columbus Quest to a championship the same season. She kicked off a nine-year WNBA career in 1998, playing her first four seasons for the Mystics.
After her WNBA career, which included three All-Star nods, McCray-Penson began coaching. Her career included head-coaching stops at Mississippi State and Old Dominion.
She also served as an assistant on Dawn Staley’s staff at South Carolina, including on the team’s 2017 NCAA championship season. After stepping down at Mississippi State in 2021 because of health concerns, McCray-Penson returned to coaching as an assistant at Rutgers last season.
‘‘It’s hard to think about Nikki’s passing because all I can think about is how fully she lived,’’ Staley wrote in a message on social media. ‘‘From her days as a brash rookie in USA basketball to becoming my friend and colleague to the way she mentored young players, Nikki did everything with her whole heart.’’
McCray-Penson was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She was a member of the Sky’s inaugural roster in 2006, playing in 11 games.
The Sky issued a statement that read: ‘‘Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and loved ones of Nikki McCray-Penson.’’
New league brewing
News of Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier launching a new U.S.-based basketball league, Unrivaled, still was trickling out to players and coaches Friday.
Sky interim coach/general manager Emre Vatansever had yet to hear about the league but offered his full support.
‘‘I’m one of the coaches that has coached players [overseas],’’ Vatansever said. ‘‘It’s hard for players to go overseas and play over there without their loved ones . . . so it’s good to step up and keep these players here.’’
The goal of the new league is to provide players with an option to play domestically during the WNBA offseason, with a season that would run from January through March. The idea came about as a result of Stewart and Collier looking to address the WNBA’s new prioritization rule, which will be fully implemented beginning next season.
According to reports, the league would be based in Miami and feature six teams that will play games of three-on-three and one-on-one.
‘‘I think it’s a great option for the offseason for WNBA players, especially Americans,’’ said Sky forward Alanna Smith, who is from Australia. ‘‘It’s a little bit different for me because I’m not from the U.S., so I prefer to go elsewhere. But I think it’s a really cool option to have for locals who stick around and promote the W.’’
