ATLANTA (March 12, 2026) — Athletics communications professional Rick Nixon and sportswriter Jeff Metcalfe, both of whom spent the better part of their careers promoting women’s basketball, are the recipients of the 2026 WBCA Mel Greenberg Media Award, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
Nixon is the recipient of the national award for his nationwide service to NCAA Division I college women’s basketball while Metcalfe is being presented the community/regional award for his coverage of college and professional women’s basketball in the Phoenix area.
Greenberg, a longtime Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter, founded The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll. He retired from the Inquirer in 2010 but continues to cover the game through his blog, “Womhoops Guru.”
“The WBCA family of coaches congratulates both Rick Nixon and Jeff Metcalfe on this award and celebrates their important contributions to women’s basketball,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Rick has been a great friend to the game of women’s basketball for decades,” said Rick has provided a welcoming and friendly program for student-athletes, coaches, media, and fans for the greatest asset in the sport — the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. He has served as a vital teammate, providing all sorts of services and access for data management, outcomes, storytelling, celebration, and preservation of the historical narrative of the sport. Jeff, too, has helped promote our sport and tell its story on the west coast— particularly the Phoenix market — as an award-winning journalist covering, in particular, Arizona State University and the Phoenix Mercury for decades.”
“It was hard to believe Rick was going to move on to another life chapter when he announced his retirement last summer,” said Greenberg. “Most of the winners over the decades have primarily been writers or broadcasters. However, through his magnificent job as the women’s media chief at the NCAA, Rick has served as an excellent go-to in both directions: when we need to reach individuals from his side to inform us on why things get done the way they do; and where to find us when needed by people involved with running the national tournament.”
Said Greenberg: “I’m thrilled that we can add Jeff to the longtime list of worthy winners and do it where he can be saluted in his hometown of Phoenix during the Women’s Final Four. He surely was an impact person long ago and is worthy of all the elements ascribed to the award when it was created in terms of building local and national interest.”
Nixon, who retired in 2025 after almost 40 years in athletics communications, directed media operations for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and Women’s Final Four for 19 years, playing a vital role in the growth of the media and public’s interest in the sport over the last two decades. He was previously recognized for his efforts by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, which presented him with its Mary Jo Haverbeck Award in 2024. Before joining the NCAA staff, Nixon served as assistant athletic director for media relations at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
“It’s an honor to be recognized and to join the vaunted list of past recipients of the WBCA Mel Greenberg Media Award,” said Nixon. “Mel’s friendship and support over the years has been instrumental for me as we worked to shine a light on the great game of women’s basketball. To receive the WBCA award bearing his name carries a lot of added significance.”
Metcalfe has covered sports professionally since 1975, including 36 years with the Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic newspapers and azcentral.com in Phoenix covering Arizona State University, the WNBA Phoenix Mercury from their inception, and 15 Olympics. After being honored as Arizona Sportswriter of the Year in 2021, Metcalfe retired but continues to cover sports as a freelance journalist.
“I’m tremendously honored to receive the Mel Greenberg Media Award and thankful to the WBCA for this recognition,” said Metcalfe. “I have huge respect for Mel and his work covering and promoting women’s basketball. I’m proud to be honored for my work over 50 years covering college and professional women’s basketball and humbled to be included among those who have received this award since 1991.”
The Mel Greenberg Media Award is presented annually to a member or members of the media at the national or regional/community levels, or a sports communications professional, who has best displayed a commitment to women’s basketball and to advancing the role of the media in the women’s game. Selected by past recipients of the award, the candidate must have made a positive impact on the growth and public exposure of the sport, been involved in the media exposure of women’s basketball for a minimum of five years and should be a media ambassador for the women’s game.
Visit WBCA.org to see a list of past recipients.
About the WBCA
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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