How Nikki McCray-Penson battled cancer and coached basketball
How Nikki McCray-Penson battled cancer and coached basketball originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Nikki McCray-Penson always had a smile that lit up a room. Called 'baby' by her teammates on the 1996 gold-medal-winning Olympic women's basketball team she had innocence and purity that only helped grow one's affection toward her.
But in 2013 the late Hall-of-Famer was diagnosed with breast cancer while coaching at the University of South Carolina. It was devasting to her, her family - who were just celebrating the birth of her son Thomas Jr. - and her boss at the time, Dawn Staley.
Earlier this week, Staley spoke to NBC Sports Washington's Christy Winters-Scott to remember the Women's Basketball Hall of Famer. You can watch the full 42-minute interview below:
One of her most compelling stories came when both McCray-Penson and Staley found out about her cancer.
“Here’s the thing, Nikki actually knew- her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer," Staley said. "... [Y]ears ago, basically the doctors told them – I think she’s got three other sisters – one of them was going to get cancer. It’s just genetics, one of them. Nikki being, I believe, the oldest, was the one. She was actually happy that it was her and not her siblings and that’s just the way she is, that’s just the way she is.”
McCray-Penson was on Staley's staff as an assistant from 2008-17, her second coaching job ever. The two developed quite a rapport playing together with Team USA and also during the early days of professional women's basketball.
So when Staley was taking over the South Carolina program in the late 2000s, she wanted the competitor that she knew for the past two decades.
“I knew hard work. I knew the type of coach, player (and) person Nikki was and I was like, ‘I got to get Nik.’ Because we’d been through it, we’d been in the foxhole together, we accomplished incredible feats. There’s no one other person besides Nikki who can help us get this done," Staley said.
And when cancer came Staley was right beside McCray-Penson's side. She rushed over to be with McCray-Penson when Staley got the phone call. Throughout the whole process, doctor's appointments and chemotherapy sessions Staley was there. That was all while McCray-Penson continued her duties as an assistant coach for the Gamecocks.
“Coach (Lisa) Boyer and I were at every chemo treatment and Nikki’s got her laptop, she’s doing her scouting reports. We’re talking basketball. We took our meeting to the cancer treatments, this is just what we do. We saw her ring the bell,” Staley said.
Once the battle was won, Staley knew it wouldn't be long before McCray-Penson wanted to get back to work. The entire basketball staff took bets on when the two-time Olympic gold medalist would be returning to work.
Staley says her break only lasted a week.
Both Staley and McCray-Penson would go on to lead South Carolina to their first-ever national championship in 2017. She coached players including A'ja Wilson, Allisha Gray and Kaela Davis. After that year McCray-Penson went on to become the head coach at Old Dominion and then Mississippi State.
This Sunday McCray-Penson is being posthumously inducted into the Mystics Hall of Fame. Earlier this summer McCray-Penson died at 51 after her breast cancer returned before she could be formally recognized by the organization.
She played four seasons in D.C. after being assigned to the franchise in 1998 and led them to their first-ever playoff appearance. McCray-Penson finished her career with the Mystics averaging 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. She scored 1,921 total points with the Mystics, which currently sits eighth all-time in team history.
All fans attending Sunday's game against the Dallas Wings will receive a t-shirt featuring McCray’s name and number. In celebration of her legacy, a number 15 decal will be featured on the Mystics' court and on player jerseys.
“Nikki needed a focus. She needed a focus other than what was happening to her," Staley said. "She’d never complain. She’d never, ever complain. She just fought and fought and fought and fought. She fought to coach the game of basketball, she fought to impact lives. She fought to see her son, she was fortunate to see 10 Christmases and 10 birthdays and she’s leaving a legacy with her son.”
