Golden State WNBA franchise finds its leader, who is already talking titles alongside Lacob

SAN FRANCISCO — Ohemaa Nyanin sat on the dais beside Warriors owner Joe Lacob, her family in the front row, her friends and colleagues peppered throughout Chase Center’s interview room. As Nyanin began to make her opening statement, she paused and scanned the space.

“Please just give me one second to take this all in,” Nyanin said.

For Nyanin, who on Monday was named the first general manager of Golden State’s WNBA expansion team, the moment was worth savoring.

“It’s a dream come true,” Nyanin said. “It’s a dream that I never thought I would realize, and it’s a dream that’s currently happening.”

Nyanin joins Golden State’s WNBA team, which will begin play next season and has yet to reveal its name, after spending more than five years with the New York Liberty, serving as the team’s manager of basketball operations (2019-20), director of basketball operations (2020-22) and, most recently, assistant general manager (2022-24).

Before joining the Liberty, Nyanin served as USA Basketball’s assistant director of the women’s national team for five years, helping the USA Basketball Women’s National Team win a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and 2018 World Cup. Additionally, since 2016, Nyanin has served as FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier Technical Delegate and Manager.

“They took a leap of faith in me, and I, in turn, am taking a leap of faith in them to learn from each other, but to also grow a winning team,” Nyanin said.

Nyanin, a Ghanaian American born in Maryland to parents from Ghana, spent time growing up in the United States, the Philippines, Chile, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At American University, Nyanin studied international relations as well as foreign language and communications, then earned a master’s in justice and public policy in 2011. She played parts of four years on American’s women’s basketball team.

Nyanin’s professional experience, which spans more than a decade, will be invaluable as she faces her loftiest goal yet: winning a WNBA title, an aim Lacob has already discussed.

“Our goal is to win championships, and frankly, within the first five years,” Lacob said. “We’ve done it with our G League teams, we’ve done it with the Warriors and, shoot, what the hell, let’s just announce that goal right here, once again. Put a little pressure on from Day 1; win a championship, if not more, within the first five years.”

Lacob, a primary backer of the San Jose Lasers of the all-women American Basketball League, said he knew from the beginning that Nyanin would be the team’s selection, but that confidence didn’t make the hiring process any less lengthy. Lacob said 10 different members of the organization interviewed Nyanin. Once the candidate pool was down to two, Nyanin and the other candidate visited Lacob’s house to interact in a non-interview environment with him and other members of the hiring group.

“It took a long time, but it needed to take a long time because we both needed to feel each other out,” Nyanin said. “I don’t take any of the sleepless nights for granted. I’m currently based in Brooklyn, so to get out here is a trek and they made it worth it. Every moment that I spent with everybody within the hiring process came up as their true authentic selves and showed me why I would want to be part of this franchise. In turn, I had to show them why they would accept me to be a part of this.”

Before Nyanin can think about raising another banner at Chase Center, she has to hire a coach and staff. Nyanin will handle the hire and said the team, which hired Jess Smith as its president in January, wants “the best coach possible,” adding that the timeline is fluid.

“I would like to give space to people to come in with their own ideas and their own experiences for us to build it together,” Nyanin said of the team’s identity. “For the coach, I’m looking for a person who is unafraid to embrace the unknown, that has a history of understanding the game, and empathy and openness to grow in this space.”

There will also be the task of acquiring players. An expansion draft will be held later this year, followed by the 2025 WNBA Draft prior to the team’s first season. While Nyanin will have opportunities to collaborate with the Warriors’ brass — Nyanin said Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy has been an ally — Lacob pointed out that the team will be an independent organization and Nyanin will make her own decisions.

Regardless of who’s coaching or playing, there will be no shortage of eyes on the team. Last week, the team announced that it hit 7,000 season ticket deposits, a testament to the growing popularity of the WNBA and women’s sports. Nyanin understands that there will be pressure, but regardless of the attention, the goal remains the same.

“Winning is the foundation of this organization,” Nyanin said. “So, why not us? It will be us.”

Lacob, for his part, will now oversee two basketball teams, and when asked if he would be stretched too thin, Lacob responded that his “life is basketball.” As he looked towards the future, Lacob asserted that the WNBA team wouldn’t be the only squad in the Bay that’s prospering.

“We’re going to win championships in both,” Lacob said.