All Things Basketball with GD - 2023 Season, Player Spotlight on Nikki McCray-Penson

Intro (00:00 - 00:38)Preview of our player spotlight on the late great Nikki McCray-Penson (00:39 -01:14)My introduction to women's basketball and I began following Nikki as a Tennessee Lady Vol (01:15 - 02:00)Early life including her interest in the game of basketball after watching her cousins play (02:01 - 03:39)Nikki's time at Collierville High School in Tennessee including her team winning a state championship and becoming the most decorated student athlete in school history (03:40 - 05:37)Attending the University of Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt including 4 dominant year in the SEC as well playing in the NCAA Tournament each year (05:37 - 08:15)Her part of that iconic 1996 National Team from the Atlanta Olympics under another legendary coach Tara Vanderveer including an undefeated run towards winning the gold medal (08:16 - 09:50) Her continued participation in international play including playing in the 1998 World Cup in Germany and 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia under another great coach Nell Fortner (09:51 - 10:44)Her career in both the ABL and WNBA as a player including winning ABL MVP and the league's inaugural title as well as becoming a 3 time All Star in the WNBA (10:45 - 13:49)Nikki's coaching career: being an assistant coach under good friends Dawn Staley and Coquese Washington; head coach at Old Dominion and Mississippi State (13:50 - 17:32)How Nikki met Thomas Penson and would end up getting married; their marital union bringing forth their son Thomas Nikson Penson (17:33 - 18:36)Nikki's health including her first diagnosis of breast cancer and her mother's own bout with breast cancer; Nikki's unfortunate passing (18:37 - 21:31)Her accolades including her being named SEC Player of the Year twice as well as 3 times as an All-SEC Player; her winning C-USA Coach of the Year; her many Hall of Fame inductions (21:32 - 24:53)In her own words including a few Nikki-isms as well as her thoughts on having her own signature sneaker and her being selected for the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports (24:54 - 28:30)What others have to say about Nikki including the town of Collierville, Tennessee; current University of Tennessee coach Kellie Harper & the university itself; her former players including A'ja Wilson and Rickea Jackson; her former teammates: Michelle Marciniak, Abby Conklin, Jennifer Azzi and Natalie Williams, both Olympic coaches she played for: Tara Vanderveer and Nell Fortner; those in the coaching ranks: Suzy Merchant, Kyra Elzy and Yolett McCuin; the head coaches she worked under: Dawn Staley and Coquese Washington (28:31 - 46:01)My personal thoughts on Nikki Mccray-Penson (46:02 - 48:19)Call to action (48:20 - 49:37)⁠https://www.allthingsbasketballwithgd.com/⁠--- Support this podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allthingsbasketballwithgd/support⁠ or ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/allthingsbbgd⁠