SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara women's basketball head coach Loree Payne announced the hiring of Nike McClure as an assistant coach on her staff. McClure was an assistant at New Mexico for the last four seasons after serving as the director of player development during the 2021-22 season.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Nike to the Bronco family," said Payne. "She's an outstanding recruiter and a natural relationship-builder. Her playing and coaching experience will elevate our program in countless ways!"
"I'm grateful to be joining Santa Clara women's basketball," said McClure. "It is one of the premier programs on the West Coast with an incredible campus, elite people and players, and amazing support from the fans and administration that makes it all so special. Thank you to Coach Loree Payne, a tremendous woman, coach, and mentor, for the opportunity. I'm excited for what's ahead."
In her first year on the bench with the Lobos during the 2021-22 season, the program established several program records. UNM set the program record in made three-pointers (346), a program-best 171 made three-pointers in conference season, as well as a program-record 596 assists on the season and 292 in conference games. In addition, the Lobos made a program-high 523 field goals in conference and scored the most points in conference in program history with 1,413 points. On Jan. 6 at Utah State, the Lobos set the program record and the MW record in made three-pointers in a game with 21, and three games later made 19 three-pointers for the second most in a game in program history. The Lobos also went on a nine-game win streak, the second longest in program history.
Nationally, New Mexico ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA in made three-pointers (third), made three-pointers per game (fifth, 9.6 per game) and in assists (10th). In total, UNM ranked in the top 30 in nine categories, including scoring offense (14th, 76.7 points per game), assists per game (16th, 16.6 per game), assist/turnover ratio (18th, 1.21), field-goal percentage (19th, 45.1 percent), blocked shots (25th, 146) and three-point field-goal percentage (30th, 35.1 percent).
UNM won seven MW weekly conference honors (four player of the week and three freshman) as well as added six postseason Mountain West honors with a conference-high three all-conference players in Antonia Anderson, Shaiquel McGruder and Jaedyn De La Cerda, an honorable mention in LaTora Duff, an all-defensive player in McGruder and an all-freshman in Paula Reus.
As a member of the Lobos, McClure was named to the Mountain West All-Defensive Team during the 2018-19 season after leading the conference with 67 blocked shots and an average of 2.2 a game, while adding 6.8 rebounds per game. McClure's 67 blocks ranks fifth all-time in single-season blocks at UNM.
Furthermore, McClure accounted for nine of UNM's 14 team blocks against Oklahoma on Nov. 28, 2018, with the 14 tying the second-highest total in program history. McClure's nine blocks ranked third all-time in single-game blocks for an individual.
After graduating from UNM, McClure went on to play overseas in Portugal for CAB Madeira as well as the Anorthosis Basketball Club in Cyprus, where she averaged 16.3 ppg, 17.4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.2 spg, 2.3 bpg.
