McCray-Penson was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She played 11 games for the Sky in 2006.
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.
