Nikki McCray

Nikki McCray was a point guard who played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, helping them win the 1991 NCAA title. McCray was a shut-down defender who helped the USA win gold medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. She also won a gold medal at the 1998 World Championships.

McCray played professionally after college, in both the WNBA and the ABL. She played from 1996-2006 with several different teams, and was named ABL MVP in 1997, and played in the WNBA All-Star Game in 1999-2001. After her career she went into coaching, first as an assistant at the University of South Carolina from 2008-17. In 2017 she became the head coach at Old Dominion University, and was in that position for three season before becoming head coach at Mississippi State University.

McCray was also known for her community service. She was chosen in 2000 by President Bill Clinton to be a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 1999 she was chosen by the Library of Congress to be the keynote speaker for the Women’s History Month address.