Dawn Staley on the Passing of Nikki McCray-Penson
Dawn Staley on the Passing of Nikki McCray-Penson, Her Former USA Basketball Teammate and South Carolina Assistant Coach:
“It’s hard to think about Nikki’s passing because all I can see is how fully she lived. 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. Every teammate, every coach, every player who spent time with her knew first that she cared about them as a person, and everything else came from that place. Her presence was something you could feel before you saw her because 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. I pray we all have the strength to do that for her and her son Lil Thomas.”
She also tweeted out that McRay-Penson’s funeral is this Saturday, July 15 at the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Her family says in lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
