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Nikki McCray

Position: Assistant Coach

Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Nikki McCray reunited with two former teammates when she joined head coach Dawn Staley's South Carolina staff in May 2008. Following an 11-year professional playing career, McCray moved into the coaching ranks in 2006, spending two seasons on the bench at Western Kentucky. A three-time WNBA All-Star and the 1996-97 ABL Most Valuable Player, McCray was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2012.

"Nikki is hungry for success, and that comes from playing at Tennessee where the coach never settles for anything less than being number one at whatever she's doing," Staley said. "That mentality is instilled in Nikki, and I want people around me like that. She is energetic, confident and engaging - all qualities that you need when you're coaching and recruiting. We spent two Olympic Games together and have shared being successful in the very best arena there is to test yourself. "

"I am excited about coming to South Carolina and getting back into the SEC, a league that is known as the best in women's basketball," McCray said. "Anytime you have an opportunity to grow in this business, you have to take advantage of it. After talking to Dawn and knowing who else was on her staff, I knew I could learn a lot here. Dawn always surrounds herself with people who have been in the trenches with her. You want to do this job with people that you trust and that have your back. This group of coaches is exactly that. I am grateful to be around such strong women who do it the right way and are in coaching for the right reasons."

McCray got her start in coaching at Western Kentucky where she helped the Lady Toppers to a 49-17 record, which included a WNIT semifinal appearance in 2006-07 and a Sun Belt Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2007-08. She played a key role in recruiting, especially in drawing players from her hometown of Memphis, Tenn., including point guard Amy McNear.

"I am a competitor, and I am going to bring my `A' game to everything I do," McCray said. "I will not be satisfied with anything less than my best - in recruiting, in scheduling, in whatever Coach Staley asks me to do. I'm committed to doing everything the right way and to doing it right away. In recruiting, I identify the players I want to sign, and I won't stop until I get those players to sign."

Prior to moving into the coaching world, McCray enjoyed a nine-year career in the WNBA, following a two-year stint in the ABL. She signed her first professional playing contract with the ABL's Columbus Quest in 1996 and proceeded to lead the team to the league championship, earning league MVP honors along the way. Joining the WNBA's Washington Mystics in 1998, McCray was the team's leading scorer in each of her first two seasons and played in the WNBA All-Star game three times in her four years in Washington. She earned a starting spot in the league's inaugural All-Star game in 1999 and was the leading vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards in 2000.

McCray went on to play five more seasons in the WNBA, spending two with the Indiana Fever and one each with the Phoenix Mercury, the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Chicago Sky prior to her retirement at the end of the 2006 season. With 2,528 points, she finished her career ranked 24th on the WNBA's career scoring list. Averaging 10.1 points per game, she was a career 41.3 percent shooter.

A veteran of international basketball as well, McCray was part of the USA Basketball program on three separate occasions. Those stints were highlighted by trips to the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000, both of which resulted in gold medals for the United States. She was a key element on the 1995-96 team that spent more than a year together in residency for the first time in USA Basketball's history. The effort helped the group to 60-0 record in international competition and sparked two professional women's basketball leagues in the United States.

"There is nothing like putting that USA jersey on your shoulders," McCray said. "Not only are you working for yourself and your family, but now you're working for your country. When you beat other countries and stand up there on that podium and hear your national anthem that is an unbelievable feeling. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have done it several times."

In her four-year career at Tennessee, McCray keyed three SEC regular-season titles, two conference tournament championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances for the Lady Vols. In addition to helping UT build a 122-11 record, McCray picked up All-America and SEC Player of the Year honors in both her junior and senior years. She scored 1,572 career points, a number that still ranks her among the Lady Vols' all-time top 15.

McCray graduated from Tennessee in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in sports marketing. She is married to Thomas Penson, and the couple is expecting its first child in February.

The McCray Capsule

Playing Experience
Chicago Sky, WNBA, 2006
San Antonio Silver Stars, WNBA, 2005
Phoenix Mercury, WNBA, 2004
Indiana Fever, WNBA, 2002-03
Washington Mystics, WNBA, 1998-2001
• Three-time WNBA All-Star, 1999, 2000, 2001
Columbus Quest, ABL, 1996-98
• ABL Most Valuable Player, 1996-97
• League Championship, 1996-97
USA Basketball, 1993, 1995-96, 1998-2000
• Olympic Gold Medal, 1996, 2000
University of Tennessee, 1991-95
• Two-time Kodak All-America, 1994, 1995
• Two-time Naismith All-America, 1994, 1995
• Two-time SEC Player of the Year, 1994, 1995

Other Notables
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2012

Education
Bachelor of science in sports marketing, Tennessee, 1995