NEW YORK, July 27, 2017 – The WNBA announced today that Ann Rodriguez, an
accomplished operational leader with more than 15 years of management
experience, will join the league as Senior Vice President, WNBA League
Operations, effective Aug. 7. She will report to NBA President, League
Operations Byron Spruell, with a dedicated focus on the WNBA.
In her role, Rodriguez will oversee all on-court basketball operations,
including playing rules, scouting, scheduling and venue compliance. She also
will oversee the management of referee operations and the administration of
player-related policies and programs.
“Ann is an experienced leader with diverse skills in both the sports and
corporate sectors,” said Spruell. “Her background, her strong track record in
management and operations combined with her leadership skills and keen sports
knowledge will be invaluable as the WNBA continues to grow as a business and
deliver the highest quality of play on the court.”
“As someone who has been in and around sports throughout my life and my
professional career, it is a privilege to join a league such as the WNBA that is
home to immensely talented athletes who exemplify what it means to be a
modern-day female athlete — women who excel at what they do on the court and
are positive role models in their communities,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez comes to the WNBA from Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United FC, where
she most recently served as Vice President of Business Operations. She
spearheaded the team’s marketing strategy and business plans, focusing on ticket
sales, marketing, events, digital and social media, broadcast, sponsorships,
retail, communications and community relations. In its inaugural season, the
team leads the league in season tickets (more than 35,000) and attendance (over
46,000 fans per game).
Prior to joining Atlanta United FC, Rodriguez worked with NextGen Angels, an
investment group focused on early-stage companies, where she served as Senior
Vice President in its Washington, D.C., office. Rodriguez also held a variety of
leadership roles at Under Armour, working in strategy as well as global brand
and sports marketing. She led Under Armour into the Premier League with its
landmark partnership with Tottenham Hotspur and completed the brand’s first
soccer sponsorship in South America, signing Colo Colo FC of Chile. She
previously served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Major League
Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes.
A native of Annapolis, Md., Rodriguez was recognized as a winner of
SportsBusiness Journal’s “Forty under 40” Award in 2017. She has a B.A. degree
in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from
Stanford Graduate School of Business.
