Funeral arrangements announced for former University of South Carolina women’s basketball assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The Family of Nikki McCray-Penson, has announced funeral arrangements for the former University of South Carolina (USC) women’s basketball assistant coach and the two-time Olympic gold-medalist.
USC women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley made the announcement on her Twitter profile on Sunday afternoon:
Good afternoon everyone. My sister and friend Nikki McCray Celebration of Life service will be in Knoxville July 15 at 2pm. From the family, in lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to @KayYowFund pic.twitter.com/0xRdOUV3zo — dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) July 9, 2023
The funeral for McCray-Penson will be held Saturday, July 15, at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee at 2 p.m. local time. The family of McCray-Penson is asking that instead of flowers, well-wishers will send donations to Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
McCray-Penson was an assistant women’s basketball coach at Rutgers last season and was a member of the Gamecocks’ first national championship in 2017.
“It’s hard to think about Nikki’s passing because all I can see is how fully she lived,” Staley said in a statement. “From her days as a brash rookie in USA Basketball to becoming my friend and colleague to the way she mentored young players, Nikki did everything with her whole heart. ... she had such light, such positive energy inside her no matter what was going on. I am heartbroken that cancer has taken that light from us, but I know that she would want us to be the ones to carry it on in her absence.”
McCray-Penson was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She is survived by her husband Thomas and son Thomas Jr.
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Source: WIS News 10
