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PARRY
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The WNBA has hired industry veteran Jay Parry as its chief operating officer.
Parry replaces Christine Godleski, whom the league said resigned last month to pursue other opportunities. Parry begins work May 2 and will report to new WNBA President Lisa Borders, who was hired by the NBA in February to run the league.
Parry is no stranger to the WNBA or the NBA. From 2004-10, she was president of the Phoenix Mercury, where she negotiated the first marquee sponsorship deal in the WNBA featuring jersey advertising (a deal with LifeLock). She then spent two years working as senior vice president of brand and business development for the Phoenix Suns.
Parry left the Suns in 2012 and was hired as president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, overseeing Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
Before working in sports, Parry spent 17 years with Bank of America in a variety of executive positions.
“I’m excited about the league going into its 20th season, and we are ready to take the next step,” Parry said. “We have this foundation of a fantastic level of play, and the opportunity is, ‘How do we tell the story in a bigger and more compelling way?’”
Parry will relocate from Phoenix to New York for the job. Her familiarity with the WNBA and the business of its teams should be an advantage as she puts her focus on league business and strategy efforts along with revenue-generating opportunities.
WNBA teams last year averaged 7,318 fans a game, down 3 percent from 2014 and the lowest in the league’s 19 seasons. Viewership on ESPN/ESPN2 fell by 14 percent from 2014, and the league’s Tulsa franchise was relocated to Dallas after the season.
“It is all about growing the business, the fan base, and the marketing partnerships,” Parry said. “We want to get to a younger female demographic. We need to bring in the next generation of fans. That is a huge opportunity for us.”
Hiring Parry is the first major personnel move by Borders, who succeeded Laurel Richie as president. Richie was WNBA president from 2011 through late 2015. Godleski, who could not be reached for comment, had been COO since 2010.
“[Parry] is just what we need right now,” Borders said. “We are very much focused on growing the business incrementally and sustainably. She brings a lot of authenticity and more credibility to the support that the NBA is bringing to the WNBA. We want to make sure we put every single resource in place to drive the business.”
