We hate to compare, but who does this sound like?

• All-American and SEC Player of the Year
• WNBA.All-Star
• Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
• Three names
• Old Dominion coach

Yes, that was Nikki McCray-Penson but guess what? It’s also DeLisha Milton-Jones.

MIlton-Jones was announced as ODU’s eighth women’s basketball coach on Friday, and it’s uncanny how much she has in common with her predecessor.

The 5-11 McCray (admittedly, we never used the Penson), from Tennessee, was SEC Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. Wade Trophy winner Milton-Jones was SEC Player of the Year in 1997. Lady Monarch fans will remember the 6-1 forward from that Florida team that ODU survived in the. Elite Eight in ’97 en route to the national championship game, a loss to Tennessee. (Milton-Jones, named Mideast Regional’s Most Outstanding despite the score, amassed 18 points and 19 rebounds vs. ODU).

McCray and Milton-Jones were Olympic teammates in 2000; both won a pair of Gold Medals. Peek at this clip:

Prior to ODU, both were assistants at elite programs McCray, of course, was Dawn Staley’s sidekick at South Carolina. Milton-Jones has spent the last year at Syracuse alongside Quintin HIllsman. Prior to that, she was head coach at Pepperdine, reviving that program. She led the Waves to a WNIT Sweet 16 appearance in 2019 behind a 22-12 record, Pepperdine’s most victories in 17 years. Milton-Jones just made the much-abuzz list, 50 Impactful D1 Women’s Basketball Assistants.

McCrayrior starred in the now-defunct American Basketball League and was named Most Valuable Player for the 1996–97 season; she led the Columbus Quest to a championship before defecting to the WNBA. She played for five different teams until retiring in 2006.  Milton-Jones’ WNBA career spanned 17 seasons. In. fact, she set the record for most games played (she sits nine behind Sue Bird currently). Milton-Jones scored more than 5,000 points in that time. She retired in 2016, winning championships in 2002 and 2004 with the Los Angeles Sparks.

You already know, of course, what McCray did at ODU, DMJ?

We can’t wait to find out.