Nikki McCray

We do have some sad news for Gamecock fans today Nikki McRae Pinson a former assistant basketball coach with the Women's Basketball team has died she was 51 years old yeah before becoming the assistant coach McRae had a huge career of her own she was an Olympic gold medalist she was a professional Hall of Famer but then in 2013 she was diagnosed with breast cancer everybody was hopeful Darcy you did a feature on her and and she went into her Mission unfortunately she ended her battle with cancer today Reggie I know you had a chance to talk with her and her life and Legacy will live on through so many players and and people she impacted yeah she was a star at Tennessee she'd become a head coach at Old Dominion where she one day she sang the national anthem for one for a senior night a few years back she was the head coach of Mississippi state had to step away and then obviously it's a situation where she was up at Rutgers and she was in her first season as an assistant but you know she uh fought as hard as she could but you know I was thinking about this today October is breast cancer awareness month but really it's it's a 12 month a year situation and obviously that that month that will take on a different meeting even more so than than what it already is concerning uh Nikki McRae Henson's uh battle with cancer she fought as hard as she could let's talk a little bit about her impact when it was here at USC and and what she meant to the recruiting class and how she stayed on as one of the key players and I say players on Staley's coaching team well you know Dawn brought star power to the Gamecock program as as did Nikki obviously with her career at Tennessee where she was a multi SEC Player of the Year Olympic gold medals as you mentioned a three-time WNBA All-Star so she played at a high level she coached at a high level and obviously she she lived at high level too um one of the things that I love about her was her passion for the players and I followed her on social media for years and and um she stayed close with so many of the players including Asia Wilson she was always sharing pictures of Asia on her Instagram and Asia was doing the same thing back so she she held on to those relationships funny story with Asia and Nikki uh when Nikki would in fact you could hear a few of the highlights when she would shout instructions she her her voice would go up a few octaves I mean it was very hot very high pitched and Asia one day on Twitter uh just made note of the fact that you know she referred to her ears bleeding during one of the games and whatnot it was just one of the funny things that uh that you pick up and hearing Courtside you you would hear it too and then you see the tweet and he's like yeah you know yeah we know that's about she had a very distinct voice and you know every time I got to talk to her um her love of basketball was contagious she was somebody that helped um really develop players at all ages she participated while that's wild video right there because that's Khadijah sessions who was just named assistant coach for the Gamecocks and and Nikki was one of her coaches as well so really it's such a family that they build but anyway her love and passion was contagious for all ages she would help with Don's camps and help develop young players and just really share that passion of basketball the situation where you know her her Legacy is going to live off you gotta obviously her family just just a tough situation and again you mentioned initially she had won her battle but it's just it's just a horrible horrible disease that you know you just never know we're going to take a second and look back at our story I had a chance to interview McRae back in 2014 and this is how she described her battle with breast cancer USC's women's assistant basketball coach Nikki McRae knows how to win on the hardcore as a gold medal Olympic Athlete she's a competitor to the core losing is never an option for her not on the court and not in life well I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November now I attacked you know cancer just like a game you know I'm prepared I'm proactive and you know I'm not going down without a fight I discovered my lump when I was in the shower wasn't thinking that it was going to be cancer I was breastfeeding you know my nine-month-old son at the time so I was thinking it was something along those lines and and then it was confirmed two days later that it was breast cancer diagnosed with the most common form of the disease her doctors wasted no time putting together a game plan for survival I did chemotherapy I had surgery and I actually just finished up about a month ago with my radiations I feel great I can't even complain every day I wake up with joy in my heart just because I I'm just so blessed this is not the first time McCray has had to rebound from this disease my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer so in the back of your mind you're always thinking okay it's close to home there's a chance that you might get it I understand my disease completely and what I need to do to stay proactive I have been a Survivor from day one I'm thankful that I've had an opportunity to go through this and to be able to share so sad hearing her words from 2014 but we know that this has impacted everybody at USC especially the basketball team and they released a statement today on her passing saying in part our program our sport most importantly her family lost an amazing woman mom wife daughter sister friend coach and Mentor today Nikki McRae Pinson was part of our foundation and made us the program that we are one personal relationship at a time and Gamecock women's basketball head coach Don Staley commented on McCray's past pinson's passing today she says in part quote 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 new first that she cared about them as a person and Asia Wilson as I mentioned earlier the two have been friends for years and McRae was one of Asia's role models and coaches and she said today heart hurts like crazy over this one such a fighter and a warrior with the sweetest gentle soul coach McRae you've helped me in many ways and you are a true gift from God truly you will be missed no more suffering no more pain God got a good one tough way to go into the weekend it is but her Legacy will live on