October 27, 2024
The Aces declined to renew Williams’ contract as part of what the team described as a front office restructuring.
Natalie Williams is out as the general manager of the Las Vegas Aces after it did not renew her contract as part of a front office restructuring, the team said in an Oct. 26 statement.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the 53-year-old Williams took the position in April 2022, three months after the team hired head coach Becky Hammon.
The Aces move follows their semifinals exit from the WNBA playoffs after two straight championships.
“It has been a joy and honor to serve as General Manager of the Las Vegas Aces,” said Williams, who thanked owner Mark Davis in her comments. “…I love the WNBA, and it has been wonderful watching the growth of the game. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.”
According to the Review-Journal, there are some indications that the dismissal of Williams could be related to the federal lawsuit against the Aces brought by former player Dearica Hamby.
Williams, Hammon, and Aces team president Nikki Fargas are all named in Hamby’s litigation as she appears to be dissatisfied by the WNBA’s investigation which led to Hammon being suspended for two games and the team forfeiting its 2025 first-round draft pick.
Hamby’s federal lawsuit claims that the organization did not honor portions of her contract and then traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks once she told team officials she was pregnant, NBC News reports.
In Fargas’ statement, she alluded to Williams’ service of the organization, going back to when the franchise was known as the Utah Starzz.
“We are incredibly grateful for Natalie’s invaluable efforts in helping build the Aces into the premier franchise in the WNBA,” Fargas said. “Her time with the organization extends back to the league’s formative years in Utah, and she will forever be a part of our history, having left an indelible mark as both a player and an executive. We wish the best for Natalie and her family.”
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