Basketball

Two-time Olympic gold-medalist and former ABL MVP Nikki McCray-Penson has died. She was 51. McCray-Penson was an assistant women's basketball coach at Rutgers last season and the school on Friday confirmed her death. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013.

Aliyah Boston of South Carolina and Caitlin Clark of Iowa are unanimous choices for The Associated Press preseason women's basketball All-America team. Both were selected on every ballot by the 30-member national media panel that chooses the Top 25 each week. Seniors Haley Jones of Stanford, Ashley Joens of Iowa State and Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech were also selected as well as sophomore Aneesah Morrow of DePaul.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has gone through a consequential year of success, both on and off the basketball court. Along the way, Staley has become the voice of leadership and direction in the women's game. She jokes often that she never planned to get into coaching before accepting the job at Temple even though she has always had in her. Staley's role as an elite point guard was to serve as the coach on the floor. She won her second NCAA Tournament crown — the first Black coach to accomplish the feat — with a 64-49 victory over UConn. Her success has given Staley the platform to champion issues off the court. She continues to speak out about gender equity, diversity and opportunities for women.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has received a seven-year contract worth $22.4 million. She will get a salary increase of $800,000 this season, earning a total of $2.9 million. Her salary will increase each year of the deal until it tops out at $3.5 million in 2027-28. The school said in a statement it makes Staley the highest paid Black coach in women's basketball. The new deal was approved by the school's board of trustees on Friday. Staley's salary is tops in the Southeastern Conference, surpassing the $2.5 million newly hired Kim Mulkey will get with LSU this season.