Morgan Cato makes NBA history as the first Black woman to be named an assistant general manager in the league for the Phoenix Suns.
According to the NBA’s official website, the Suns announced that Cato would be the first Black woman to become the team’s assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations. As such, she will report to the Suns General Manager, James Jones, and work with the Head Coach, Monty Williams, to “lead the team’s strategy and business processes for basketball growth and performance.”
Cato will also work with Jones and Williams to “focus on coaching development, player engagement, and front office personnel operations.”
“We’re excited to welcome Morgan to the Valley and to the Suns’ organization,” Jones said. “With the league office Morgan played a pivotal role on countless initiatives to grow the game and strategically develop for it to be played at its best. The addition of her background and knowledge will allow us to elevate our basketball operations in several areas.”
Cato will join the Suns after serving as the Associate Vice President of Business Operations for NBA League Operations. Her role made her a key management team member, as she worked under the President of League Operations, Byron Spruell, to grow the NBA brand through several initiatives. These initiatives included creating a basketball talent pipeline, coaching and officiating development, launching the Basketball Africa League, advocating for women and minorities in basketball operations, and establishing relationships with NBA teams on operational and engagement needs.
The Brooklyn native spent ten years with the NBA office and previously focused on developing professional talent in the consulting, investment banking, and non-profit industries. She previously worked with various Fortune 500 companies, including Lehman Brothers and Ernst & Young, after graduating from Stony Brook University and Harvard Business School’s Executive track.
