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Report: Pelicans make Swin Cash among NBA’s highest-ranking female executives

MTV's 2017 College Signing Day With Michelle Obama - Inside

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Swin Cash speaks onstage during the MTV’s 2017 College Signing Day With Michelle Obama at The Public Theater on May 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV)

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Earlier this season, the Pacers made Kelly Krauskopf the NBA’s first female assistant general manager.

Comparing jobs across teams can be tricky. Krauskopf reports to Kevin Pritchard, who runs Indiana’s front office with the title of President of Basketball Operations. As Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, David Griffin runs the Pelicans’ front office.

But it sounds as if New Orleans will give Swin Cash a position with similar stature to Krauskopf’s.

Zach Lowe of ESPN:

The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring former UConn and WNBA star Swin Cash for a senior front-office position, league sources told ESPN.

The team will name Cash vice president of basketball operations and team development, sources say. She will scout, help guide player development on and off the floor, and assume other roles within the organization.


Cash played 15 years in the WNBA then worked in the New York Liberty’s front office. Based on her work as a TV analyst, she’ll bring plenty of basketball expertise and thoughtfulness to New Orleans.

Beyond assessing Cash’s individual merits, teams will generally make better hires when considering the widest-possible pool of candidates – including women. Historically, the NBA hasn’t done that. That’s why it’s still so noteworthy when a team hires a female executive, especially to such a prominent position.

Hopefully, that will change. But it hasn’t yet, and that’s why there’s an additional spotlight on pioneers like Cash.