Sunya Payne simply stood out.
No matter the setting – be it waving blue and grey pompoms from her treasured seat at a Memphis basketball game or tirelessly championing young people during her decadeslong career with Memphis Shelby County Schools – Payne’s passion and fingerprints stretched far and wide.
Which is why the first few days following her death on July 12 have been awash with emotional tributes and fond remembrances. Payne was 55.
“Always a ray of sunshine,” reads a Facebook post from the official Tiger Bookstore account.
“Her smile, her kindness and her unwavering Tiger spirit and enthusiasm will truly be missed,” Terry Kraker Harter wrote.
“Absolute all-heart Tiger,” commented former Tiger Sport Properties general manager Todd Kucinski.
Sunya Payne: ‘They couldn’t out-fan her’
Visible and vocal, Payne was a fixture at FedExForum, especially since the Penny Hardaway era began in 2018. A graduate of Whitehaven High School, LeMoyne-Owen College and Christian Brothers University, Payne was also a strong behind-the-scenes presence, lending her time and energy to the Memphis Rebounders – the program’s longtime fan- and supporter-led fundraising group.
But Payne was most recognizable among Tigers fans as the bubbly social butterfly with the 1,000-watt smile before tip-off and the unflinching, stentorian cheerleader once the game began – in Memphis or elsewhere.
“She was a force, particularly on the road,” said senior deputy athletics director Tim Duncan, who knew Payne since high school. “On the road, she single-handedly held her own with any fan base. And, like Penny said, she didn’t mind any of the smoke they brought, because they couldn’t out-fan her.”
Duncan recalled a conversation he had with her on the phone during the 2024-25 season, when she told him she would not be making the trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.
“She was crying on the phone, that’s how much she wanted to be there,” he said.
Sunya Payne, the educator
Payne was equally as passionate about her career, which began as a teacher in 1997. Nearly 12 years later, she became a school principal. And, in 2019, Payne was named director of partnerships and advancement for MSCS.
Her enthusiasm was always evident, but perhaps never more so than when Memphis basketball and education overlapped. Payne played an integral role in the Tiger program’s community involvement in recent years — especially in schools. In March 2025, former players Tyrese Hunter, Dain Dainja and PJ Haggerty visited Brownsville Road Elementary School as a reward for students who achieved their reading goals for the school year.
Payne danced down the aisle as the Tigers arrived.
Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari recognized Payne’s role as a leader in education in a post on Facebook.
“Deeply dedicated to children in Memphis … This city was better because she NEVER stopped working to build a brighter future for our kids, whether in the classroom, the principal’s office, MSCS administration, or the community,” Akbari’s post reads.
Havenview Middle STEAM School, where Payne gave a presentation as a Muffins for Mom guest speaker in February 2025, echoed Akbari’s sentiment.
“Ms. Payne had a special gift for making people feel seen, valued, and capable of greatness,” the post reads in part. “She poured into the lives of others with kindness and grace, leaving an impact that will continue to be felt throughout our community.
“Your legacy lives on in the countless hearts you inspired.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball superfan, longtime educator Sunya Payne remembered as a ‘force’
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