The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame 2001 Female Professional Athlete of the Year is Nikki McCray. Nikki, a star with the WNBA Washington Mystics, was recognized as one of the best in the game when she was named a starter for the 2000 WNBA All-Star Game. She was, in fact, the leading vote getter among all guards in the Eastern Conference. The former Lady Vol holds the Mystics record for consecutive games with a three-point field goal (13) is second on the Mystics in scoring average and led the team in three-point field goals attempted. A native of Collierville, Tennessee, Nikki had a busy year, as she was also a member of the 2000 Gold Medal women’s Olympic basketball team that competed in Sydney. This follows her gold medal effort in 1996 where she was a member of the Olympic basketball team that brought home the gold in Atlanta games. During her years as a Lady Vol, the team compiled a record of 122-11 and Nikki was named SEC Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. She made four trips to the NCAA Tournament before earning her degree in sports marketing.
