Strength Through Service: Zora Fray-Chinn on Leadership, Identity, and Lifting Others
5/5/2026 3:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
USC Upstate's Zora Fray-Chinn reflects on identity, resilience, and lifting others through service as a Kay Yow Servant Leader Award nominee.
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On October 14, 2025, Fray-Chinn was selected as one of six Kay Yow Servant Leader honorees among Big South Conference membership. Below is the press release from that announcement.
DURHAM, N.C. – USC Upstate's women's basketball's Zora Fray-Chinn has been recognized as a Kay Yow Servant Leader for the 2025-26 season. She's the first USC Upstate student-athlete to receive the honor since the award's inception ahead of the 2024-25 season and is one of six Big South honorees this season.
The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award honors the legacy of legendary NC State head coach Kay Yow, who had a 22-year, on-again, off-again battle with breast cancer. Her hope was to inspire others to make a difference in a fight that impacts each and every one of us—counting on the sports community of coaches, players, officials, and fans to propel the cause.
The award honors the legacy and the young people who carry the fight forward. It is presented annually to student-athletes who best embody the characteristics of Coach Kay Yow—people with a servant's spirit and a commitment to selfless leadership both on and off the court and athletic field.
Fray-Chinn has appeared in 72 games during her Spartan career, including 21 last season. She averages 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over an average of 16.6 minutes per game in her career while totaling 53 assists, 30 steals, and 22 blocks.
Kay Yow Servant Leader Award winners are recognized by a patch they wear on their uniform in the year they win the award. The patch embodies the character traits of Kay Yow—uplifting, powerful, drawing and giving strength. It is a representation of the ripple effect of servant leadership and the positive impact it can make in the fight against all cancers affecting women.
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