A champion as both a player and a coach, Collierville native Nikki McCray-Penson is one of the most decorated basketball players from the state of Tennessee.
At Collierville High School, McCray-Penson was named an “All-American” by Parade Magazine and by Converse during her senior season (1989-90). She was also the winner of the Class AAA Miss Basketball Award that season. She was a three-time All-State selection and was twice named the Commercial Appeal’s “Best of the Preps” Player of the Year.
She holds state records for Most Field Goals Made in a Career (1,592), Most Rebounds in a Career (1,720), Most Field Goals Attempted in a Career (2,587) and Most Free Throws Attempted in a Career (858).
McCray-Penson played college basketball at the University of Tennessee from 1991 to 1995. During that time, the Lady Vols held a 122-11 record. She was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year and part of the 1995 Final Four All-Tournament Team. She was a 2004 inductee of the Tennessee Lady Vols Hall of Fame.
In 1996, McCray-Penson represented Team USA at the Atlanta Olympics and helped bring home a gold medal. Her championship success continued in 1997, as she led the Columbus Quest to an American Basketball League (ABL) Championship. She was also named the 1997 ABL MVP.
She played professionally in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics, Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, San Antonio Stars and Chicago Sky. She was a three-time WNBA All-Star and earned her second gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.
In 2006, McCray-Penson began her coaching career as an assistant at Western Kentucky before joining the coaching staff at South Carolina from 2008 to 2017. She was hired as head coach at Old Dominion University where their record was 24-6. She was named the 2020 C-USA Coach of the Year. Then, McCray-Penson accepted the head coach position at Mississippi State, where she coached until 2021.