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WNBA executive roundup: Seattle Storm promote Valvanis; Sparks hire Johnson

Carly Grenfell|
FAIRFAX, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: General Manager Alisha Valavanis of the Seattle Storm holds 2018 WNBA Championship Trophy with WNBA President Lisa Borders after the game between the Washington Mystics and the Seattle Storm during Game Three of the 2018 WNBA Finals on September 12, 2018 at Eaglebank Arena at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
FAIRFAX, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: General Manager Alisha Valavanis of the Seattle Storm holds 2018 WNBA Championship Trophy with WNBA President Lisa Borders after the game between the Washington Mystics and the Seattle Storm during Game Three of the 2018 WNBA Finals on September 12, 2018 at Eaglebank Arena at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

A promotion and a hire for WNBA teams.

Force 10 Sports Management, the ownership group of the Seattle Storm, announced its new Chief Executive Officer last week, but she’s a familiar face and recognizable name for many.

Alisha Valavanis, the Storm’s current President and General Manager, was promoted to CEO while continuing to serve as the GM. Under her leadership, Seattle not only won a WNBA title but saw exponential growth in terms of revenue and profit—seeing an increase of 60% and 250%, respectively. Valavanis also had a significant hand in growing Force 10 Sports Management’s partnerships, signing deals with the NWSL’s Seattle Reign FC and the MLR’s Seattle Seawolves.

She has been with the Storm since 2014, bringing a plethora of experience in the women’s basketball world with her. Valavanis was a player, a coach and an assistant athletic director at the college level—with experience in fundraising, alumni relations and ticketing—before coming to Seattle to serve as the Chief Operating Officer.

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After just one year, she was promoted to President and GM.

In 2018, she was named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Women of Influence and Adweek’s Rising Brand Stars in Seattle. The Valparaiso, Ind. native surely isn’t slowing down with age or experience.

Although Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart are the President and Vice President on the hardwood, playing a huge role in the Storm’s recent success, Valavanis’ impact should most definitely be applauded, too. She’s proved over the last few years she’s the one for the job.

She checks all the obvious boxes when it comes to experience—but brings the intangibles to the table as well: a work ethic, integrity, intelligence and a powerful voice when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion. Her diverse background in both college athletics and within the professional basketball realm has proven to be extremely valuable to the Storm.

To put it simply, Valavanis certainly ‘gets it’ and is well-equipped to take the franchise to even greater heights.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Sparks hired Danita Johnson, who is a bit of a newcomer—most recently, she served as Director of Business Operations for the Los Angeles Clippers—but also spent time as a vice president with the Sparks.

“It’s an honor to name Danita Johnson the next President and COO of the Los Angeles Sparks,” Sparks Managing Director and Governor Eric Holoman said in a press release. “Danita is one of basketball’s top sports executives and one of the few to serve in high-level positions in both the WNBA and the NBA. Knowing the Sparks and the Los Angeles community well, she will not only quickly build on our current successes but will offer accretive new ideas as well.”

Johnson fills the vacancy created when Christine Simmons left the Sparks to become Chief Operating Officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences late last year.

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