Former Mississippi State women’s basketball coach dies at 51

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. (WCBI) – Former Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Nikki McCray-Penson has died at the age of 51.

McCray-Penson served as the Bulldogs coach for the 2020-2021 season and lead them to a 10 and 9 record that year.

She played at Tennessee before playing professionally for six different teams, becoming a three-time WNBA all-star and being inducted into the WNBA Hall of Fame in 2012.

McCray-Penson started her coaching career at Western Kentucky then.

She became an assistant under Dawn Staley when South Carolina won its first National Championship in 2017.

She then made a stop at Old Dominion for three seasons before coming to Starkville to coach the Bulldogs.

After her lone season in Starkville, she took a break to focus on her health as she had been battling breast cancer.

McCray-Penson became an assistant at Rutgers in 2022.

Former colleagues and players are remembering McCray-Penson on social media. We will announce more information as it becomes available.

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