When it comes to describing the Golden State Valkyries' inaugural season, GM Ohemaa Nyanin isn't one to shy away from what matters the most to the team's front office — and what they hope to impart on the athletes who make up the roster.
In a lengthy interview with Olympcs.com, Nyanin got to the heart of what she hopes to accomplish this season. She's asking athletes, "Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to win? Are you ready to change your community?" Nyanin said.
Nyanin added that "transforming a community" is crucial to the organization's mission — and how the Valkyries go about doing that is what will set them apart.
Ohemaa Nyanin had a unique journey to becoming a GM
Nyanin has never played or coached professional basketball, a pretty unique quality to have in a team's General Manager. But she credits her parents with giving her the tools necessary to lead a group to success. Her father worked at the World Bank, which meant she lived in several countries while growing up.
Not all of the experiences she had in different countries were positive, but her parents always found a way to make sure she felt confident no matter what. Nyanin recounted that while living in the Philippines "there were a lot of people looking at us" in the grocery store. "And as a six-year-old, I just turned and looked at my mom, and I said, 'Mom, why is everybody looking at us?' And she said, 'It's because you're beautiful," she explained.
Her mother skillfully helped her turn a potentially terrible experience into something positive, a skill that Nyanin carries with her now.
Ohemaa Nyanin began playing basketball by chance
Nyanin also shared that she only began playing basketball after her parents were approached by someone at another grocery store in the US and she signed up for a rec center team. In college she was invited to walk on to her team at American University. She eventually found a career path toward becoming involved in Basketball Operations, something that really worked for her.
"For me,I love being behind the scenes. I love people. And I thought in the operations, what we didn’t have, I’d be able to provide through hard work," Nyanin explained.
Ohemaa Nyanin will lead a group of culture shapers at Golden State
Both Kate Martin and Tiffany Hayes have spoken about the need to create a culture around the Golden State Valkyries in the Bay Area, something they've both said they look forward to doing. If anyone can lead them in that quest, it's Nyanin.
Her career in basketball has taken her to many places: from being a volunteer at USA Basketball to becoming the Assistant Director of the Women's National Team to making it all the way to leading the women's team at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. From there she was part of the leadership team when the US won at the FIBA World Cup in 2018 and when the Liberty won the championship last year.
The Valkyries are entering uncharted territory this year as a new team in a league that has experiened tremendous growth in a short period of time. Luckily, they have the exact leader they need steering the ship.