Women’s basketball coach, assistant honored
Six individuals will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 9 of next year in Knoxville, Tenn.
Two of them are current Gamecocks.
USC women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and her assistant Nikki McCray were both elected to the hall’s 2012 class this weekend.
“What a great honor for these two women, and what a great staff we have in our women’s basketball program,” said Athletics Director Eric Hyman in a release. “Dawn and Nikki have achieved everything today’s young players are aiming for themselves, and I can’t imagine better role models to have on our sideline.”
Staley was an All-American at the University of Virginia, playing in three NCAA Final Fours. From there, she went to the WNBA, where she had a seven-year career that made her one of the league’s 15 greatest players in history as recently voted. Staley also was a player of three Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. national teams.
“It is a true honor to be selected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Staley in a release. “I thank the panel of voters that allowed me to be inducted with my friend and colleague Nikki McCray. We both join pioneers and peers of our beloved game that helped us reach this wonderful milestone.”
McCray was an All-American at the University of Tennessee and part of two Olympic gold medal teams and a three-time WNBA All-Star.
“The Hall of Fame is one of the highest accomplishments for an athlete, and I am truly humbled and honored to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame,” said McCray in a release. “It has always been a dream of mine, and I would like to thank the committee for selecting me.”
The other four inductees into the Class of 2012 will be players Inge Nisson and Pam McGee, ABC broadcaster Robin Roberts and Washington University coach Nancy Fahey.