Mississippi State Women’s Basketball is in very unfamiliar territory. The Lady Bulldogs 8-7 (3-6 SEC) lost their fifth straight game with a 73-61 defeat to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide have now swept the Lady Bulldogs on the season. Coach Nikki McCray-Penson’s seat has to be on fire as fans are unhappy with the losses and the perceived lack of hustle and execution.
The loss to Alabama was the first game since the 86-80 loss to Arkansas. Sandwiched between these losses were three postponed games against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Odds are, it is highly possible that Mississippi State would have gone 1-2 in these games, with Vanderbilt being the only win I would predict.
Mississippi State started the season ranked in the top 10, and now it is looking like the Lady Bulldogs could miss the postseason for the first time since the 2012-2013 season. That season was also the last time the Lady Bulldogs had a losing season. Fans are unhappy with the program’s direction, and social media grumblings have some wanting a change in year one of the Nikki McCray-Penson era.
The Nikki McCray-Penson era is off to a rough start.
When Nikki McCray-Penson was hired, fans expected her to take the program to new heights. She checked all the boxes on what you want in a college basketball coach. She was the reigning Conference-USA Coach of the Year from her time at Old Dominion. When Mississippi State was picked to finish 5th in the SEC this season, fans were upset, but maybe the coaches saw something we did not.
Watching the Lady Bulldogs play during this five-game losing streak, it is clear they are being outplayed and outhustled. The Lady Bulldogs have struggled mightily from the free-throw line shooting 61% on the season. During the losing streak, the Lady Bulldogs have converted less than 50% of attempts from the charity stripe.
Mississippi State needs to win its last three games to solidify a winning season. If Mississippi State finishes the season with a losing record, the grumbling of fans will become louder. The Lady Bulldogs have had a huge following, and no one expected such poor play from such a talented team.
Should Mississippi State Move on from Nikki McCray-Penson
The cupboard was not bare for Nikki McCray-Penson. When Vic Shaefer left for Mississippi State for Texas, the Lady Bulldogs lost two veterans and one signee but Rickea Jackson and Jessika Carter remained as well as a talented cast of returning players. After McCray-Penson was hired, she convinced prized 5-Star recruit, Madison Hayes, to stick with her commitment and sign with Mississippi State.
Expectations were high, but I do not think fans expected Mississippi State to win a national title or even the SEC in her first year. This team is talented, with three McDonald’s All-Americans and several former 5-Star recruits. Nikki McCray-Penson has shown she will make lineup changes bringing ALL-SEC forward Rickea Jackson off the bench for a few games and moving Madison Hayes into the starting lineup.
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So far, the losses are continuing to pile up during this Covid-19 affected season for the Lady Bulldogs. If Mississippi State continues on this downward spiral, endure losses in the last three games, and fail to advance in the tournament, it is possible that Athletic Director Cohen could receive pressure to move on from Nikki McCray-Penson as head coach.
Vote in our Twitter Poll: Should Mississippi State move on from Coach Nikki McCray-Penson?
Should Mississippi State make a change at the head coach position for Women's Basketball? #HailState
— Maroon & White Nation (@MandWNation) February 22, 2021