May 7, 2024
WNBA Golden State Team Names Ohemaa Nyanin As General Manager
Nyanin is looking to recruit the best basketball, artistic, and eclectic minds "to build the strongest team in the WNBA.
The WNBA’s newest franchise, the Golden State team, has tapped Ohemaa Nyanin to spearhead its operations as the inaugural general manager.
This strategic appointment marks a crucial milestone as the organization gears up for its highly anticipated debut season in 2025. According to ESPN, Nyanin will begin her tenure on May 13, overseeing all basketball-related matters and reporting directly to Warriors co-executive chairman and CEO Joe Lacob.
“The investment that has already been committed to building an incredible WNBA franchise is nothing short of amazing,” Nyanin said during a May 6 news conference. “I’m just really excited to collaborate with the current and future incredible minds to build a winning culture.” Confident in Nyanin’s capabilities, Lacob expressed that he knew from their first interaction that she was the right fit for the position, citing her basketball knowledge, experience, and gut-level understanding of the game as assets aligning with the team’s culture.
Nyanin brings a wealth of experience from her recent position as assistant general manager with the New York Liberty and previous roles as director and manager of basketball operations. She expects her five-year stint with the New York team to aid her transition to the Bay Area. The team congratulated its former employee for her new role on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The WNBA manager also served as assistant director of the women’s USA Basketball team and the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier Technical Delegate and Manager.
The new hire is looking to recruit the best basketball, artistic, and eclectic minds “to build the strongest team in the W.” One of Nyanin’s pivotal tasks will be hiring a head coach. “We are thrilled this opportunity has finally come to fruition,” Lacob stated on Golden State’s website. “We have been interested in a WNBA franchise for several years, due in part to the rich history of women’s basketball in the Bay Area, and believe now is the ideal time to execute that vision and build upon the legacy. The WNBA continues to solidify itself as the preeminent women’s professional basketball league, and we look forward to supporting the best women’s basketball players in the world.”
ESPN noted that alongside President Jess Smith, Nyanin will play a pivotal role in introducing the WNBA’s 13th franchise and first expansion team since 2008. While the franchise’s branding identity remains under wraps, an expansion draft will be conducted later this year to commence the roster-building process. Notably, the team has already garnered a remarkable 7,000 deposits for season tickets, underscoring the excitement surrounding its inception.
Slated to take the court at San Francisco’s Chase Center, Golden State’s entry paves the way for potentially welcoming a 14th team by 2026 and ultimately expanding to 16 teams by 2028.