Smith Joins Golden State From NWSL’s Angel City Football Club

The Golden State Warriors have named Jess Smith as President of Golden State’s WNBA team, it was announced today. Smith, who has over 18 years of experience in professional sports, will oversee all WNBA business operations and will report directly to Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Schneider. Smith will begin her tenure with Golden State on February 14.

“Jess is a proven leader and the perfect fit to guide our WNBA team as we begin this exciting new endeavor,” said Schneider. “She brings a strategic and innovative business approach, in addition to an impressive track record for exceeding financial and overall goals. Those intangibles will benefit us greatly as we aim to build a world class franchise that will establish strong and impactful business initiatives off the court and compete for championships on it. We are excited to welcome Jess to the Golden State family.”

Smith joins Golden State from Angel City Football Club, where she served as Head of Revenue since the team’s inception in 2020. In that role, she oversaw partnerships, ticketing, commerce, operations, data and analytics, broadcast and strategic alliances. Smith revolutionized the sports industry partnership approach with Angel City’s model, where she married revenue and impact to invest into local community initiatives focusing on equity, essentials, and education. Under her leadership, Angel City renewed over 90% of the team’s season ticket members heading into the 2024 NWSL season.

“It is an incredible opportunity to build a WNBA team with the backing of Joe Lacob and Peter Guber and the commitment from the Warriors’ Executive Team, led by Brandon Schneider,” said Smith. “Women’s sports fans demand—and deserve—authenticity and a commitment to greatness, two characteristics that the Warriors organization has strongly demonstrated. That is what attracted me to this role. The team’s significant initial investment in the WNBA is just a preview of what’s to come for sports fans in the Bay Area and around the world. I cannot wait to join this franchise with the opportunity to impact and transform our local community and the women’s sports ecosystem.”

Prior to her time at Angel City, Smith served as Vice President, Sponsorship at the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) from 2017-20, where she secured the largest academy-specific jersey partnership in MLS history. Before joining the Earthquakes, Smith worked for the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) from 2015-16. Smith also spent time working for the Oakland Athletics (MLB) from 2008-15 in roles within ticketing and sponsorship.

Smith was named to the 2023 Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list and the 2023 Leaders in Sport Under 40 class for her work with Angel City. Smith holds her B.A. in Journalism from State University of New York and received her M.S.A. from Ohio University.

On October 5, 2023, the WNBA announced its first expansion team since 2008 by awarding the Warriors a franchise that will begin play in the 2025 WNBA season. The team will be headquartered in Oakland and play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. Fans who wish to buy season ticket memberships can do so by placing a deposit at wnba.com/goldenstate.

The Warriors’ Oakland Facility, which served as the Golden State Warriors’ practice facility and front office from 1997-2019, will be the WNBA team’s headquarters, housing a world-class practice facility and the team’s front office staff. The team’s brand identity will be announced at a later date.