The Golden State Valkyries Introduced Former New York Liberty Assistant GM Ohemaa Nyanin as Their New General Manager

The Golden State Valkyries recently introduced former New York Liberty assistant GM Ohemaa Nyanin as their new general manager. Fresh off a WNBA Finals appearance and three trips to the playoffs in her five-year tenure with the Liberty, Nyanin knows what it takes to win in this league and is excited about the unique opportunity to build from scratch in what she believes is the world's best women's basketball league.

"This organization is filled with innovators and it's a blank canvas," Nyanin said. "I'm very excited to build a winning culture."

Warriors and Valkyries Co-Executive Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob has set an ambitious goal of winning a WNBA championship within the first five years, mirroring his success when he first took over the NBA franchise.

When asked about the pressure of headlining an organization with such a high standard of greatness, Nyanin stated that she embraces the challenge and holds herself to an equally high bar.

"Winning is the foundation of this organization and the Golden State WNBA team's staff will have that same spirit," Nyanin said. "Why not us? It will be us."

Nyanin has already begun to develop a relationship with Lacob, referring to him as having a "wealth of knowledge." In addition to Lacob, Nyanin has also connected with Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, who just completed his first season in the role and can be an ally for navigating her new position. She will have her own WNBA staff but also has the tremendous resources and great advantage of collaborating with established champions.

"I'm just really excited to sit in on their meetings, glean everything they have been doing and then add my spin to it as I continue to hire more people," Nyanin said.

When managing people and making important personnel decisions, Nyanin plans to lean on empathy and understand their background, purpose, and goals.

"Everybody's a product of their experiences," Nyanin said. "Understanding who a person is and their purpose first before we look at their skills is very important to me."

In building her team from scratch, Nyanin's initial priorities are to learn more about the community and "recruit the best basketball minds to build the strongest team in the WNBA." Her timeline for choosing the head coach is "fluid," prioritizing finding the best possible candidate.

Filling the role of head coach will be one of several impactful decisions Nyanin makes in the weeks and months ahead, and she is by no means daunted by the blank canvas that’s in front of her.

"It is our team," Nyanin said. "To have all the high expectations, all the pressure. Give it to us in the most authentic way and we will be sure to meet you at the top."