From Horizon League Standout to a New Chapter with the Michigan State Spartans
After earning Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors at Northern Kentucky and gaining experience at Wisconsin and West Virginia, Carter McCray brings three seasons of Division I basketball experience to Michigan State for the 2026-27 season.
Carter McCray's basketball journey has taken her through three universities before bringing her to Michigan State. Along the way, she has earned conference recognition, developed as a rebounder, and gained experience competing in different Division I programs.
Now entering her senior season with the Michigan State Spartans women's basketball team, McCray has another opportunity to contribute in the Big Ten Conference. Her journey from Northern Kentucky to Wisconsin, then West Virginia, and finally Michigan State reflects a collegiate career marked by changing environments and continued development.
Standing 6 feet 1 inch, McCray has demonstrated an ability to score efficiently around the basket and compete for rebounds. Her freshman season established her as a productive double-double player, while subsequent seasons added experience in different roles and competitive settings.
Her next chapter begins in East Lansing, where her accumulated experience provides a foundation for another season of collegiate basketball.
- Full Name: Carter McCray
- Sport: Women's Basketball
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
- Birthplace: Oberlin, Ohio
- High School: Elyria Catholic High School
- College: Michigan State University
- Current Team: Michigan State Spartans
- Academic Year: Senior, 2026-27
- Jersey Number: 1
- Previous Colleges: Northern Kentucky University, University of Wisconsin, West Virginia University
McCray grew up in Oberlin, Ohio, and attended Elyria Catholic High School. Her family background includes experience in both football and basketball, connecting her upbringing to collegiate athletics.
Her father, Antwon McCray, played football at the University of Toledo and was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her mother, Rachael McCray, played collegiate basketball at Oberlin College.
At Elyria Catholic, McCray established herself as a productive frontcourt player. During her junior season, she averaged 12.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, recording a double-double average.
Her high school honors included Great Lakes Conference First Team recognition, Lorain County First Team honors, Northeast Lakes All-District First Team recognition, and All-Ohio Division III special mention.
Those achievements helped establish her credentials before she entered Division I basketball. Her scoring and rebounding production provided an early indication of the contributions she could make around the basket.
McCray began her collegiate career at Northern Kentucky University during the 2023-24 season. She made an immediate impact, averaging 15.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while starting all 31 games.
Her performance earned her Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors and Second Team All-Horizon League recognition. She also earned a place on the conference's All-Freshman Team and received six Horizon League Freshman of the Week awards.
McCray recorded a career-high 29 points against Cleveland State on March 7, 2024, and collected a career-best 21 rebounds against Marshall on November 18, 2023.
The combination of scoring and rebounding established her as a significant contributor for Northern Kentucky. Averaging a double-double across the season demonstrated her ability to influence games beyond scoring alone.
That first season became the statistical high point of her collegiate career to date and established the foundation for her subsequent moves.
McCray transferred to the University of Wisconsin for the 2024-25 season, entering a different competitive environment in the Big Ten.
She played in 30 games and started 29, averaging 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game. She scored in double figures 16 times and recorded five double-doubles.
Her season included a 22-point performance against Northwestern on February 23, 2025, and a 14-rebound effort against UAlbany on December 20, 2024.
Although her scoring average was lower than during her freshman season, McCray remained a regular starter and contributor on the boards. Her Wisconsin campaign added another season of experience against Big Ten opponents, experience she would carry into her later move to Michigan State.
McCray joined West Virginia University for the 2025-26 season, beginning her third collegiate chapter.
She appeared in 34 games and started 26 for the Mountaineers, averaging 6.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. She shot 59.5 percent from the field, demonstrating efficiency on her field-goal attempts.
Her statistical role differed from her first two seasons, when she recorded higher scoring and rebounding averages. Nevertheless, her West Virginia season provided another year of Division I competition and additional experience in a new program.
West Virginia finished the 2025-26 season with a 28-7 record and won the Big 12 Tournament. McCray was part of that team before moving on to Michigan State for the next chapter of her career.
McCray's statistical record highlights rebounding and interior scoring as central elements of her game.
At Northern Kentucky, she averaged 15.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. At Wisconsin, she continued to contribute as a starter, averaging 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds. At West Virginia, she averaged 6.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 59.5 percent from the field.
These numbers demonstrate how her production changed across different teams and roles. They also illustrate why her contributions should not be assessed through scoring averages alone.
Her field-goal percentage at West Virginia provides a measurable indication of her efficiency. However, detailed information about her individual training routine and specific development methods is not publicly available.
At Michigan State, McCray's experience as a forward provides the coaching staff with a record of contributions across several competitive environments. Her precise role in the Spartans' rotation will depend on the team's needs and her performance during the 2026-27 season.
McCray's documented collegiate accomplishments include Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors in 2023-24, Second Team All-Horizon League recognition, and selection to the conference's All-Freshman Team.
Her freshman season featured averages of 15.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, along with career highs of 29 points against Cleveland State and 21 rebounds against Marshall.
At Wisconsin, she recorded five double-doubles during the 2024-25 season. At West Virginia, she shot 59.5 percent from the field in 2025-26.
Together, these achievements establish a record of production across three programs, with her freshman honors representing the most significant individual recognition of her collegiate career.
McCray's family background connects her to both football and basketball. Her father's experience at Toledo and with the Pittsburgh Steelers, alongside her mother's collegiate basketball experience at Oberlin, provides documented athletic context to her development.
Her Wisconsin biography also identifies biology and pre-med studies as her academic focus. Further details about academic honors, specific career plans, charitable activities, and community involvement have not been publicly confirmed.
Her collegiate journey has involved adapting to three different programs before arriving at Michigan State. Each move brought a new coaching staff, teammates, and playing environment.
That experience is an established part of her basketball career. Whether it translates into a formal leadership role with the Spartans remains to be seen.
McCray joined Michigan State for the 2026-27 season as a senior forward, wearing jersey number 1. The Spartans are led by head coach Robyn Fralick.
Michigan State finished the 2025-26 season with a 23-9 record and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. McCray joins a team seeking to build on that performance while bringing experience from Northern Kentucky, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Her return to the Big Ten gives her another opportunity to compete in a familiar conference environment. Her previous seasons provide a clear statistical record, but her minutes, starting status, and production at Michigan State remain to be determined.
Her immediate challenge is to establish her role within the Spartans' system and translate her previous experience into contributions for her new team. Her history of rebounding and interior scoring offers a foundation, but her impact will ultimately be measured by her performances during the season.
McCray's collegiate career illustrates how player development can unfold across multiple programs. Her award-winning freshman season at Northern Kentucky established her as a productive forward, while Wisconsin and West Virginia added further Division I experience.
Her career also demonstrates the importance of evaluating players through several measures, including scoring, rebounding, shooting efficiency, and playing time. Each season provides a different view of her contributions and development.
Her legacy at Michigan State remains unfinished. The 2026-27 campaign offers an opportunity to add another chapter to a career already marked by conference recognition and experience across three universities.
Carter McCray enters her senior season with a record of collegiate achievement and experience from Northern Kentucky, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Her Horizon League honors, rebounding production, and efficient shooting provide a factual foundation for understanding her development as a forward.
Michigan State offers her another opportunity to compete in the Big Ten and contribute to a new team. What she accomplishes in East Lansing remains to be seen, but her journey to the Spartans already includes meaningful milestones at every stage of her college career.
