Ohemaa Nyanin: All you need to know about Ghanaian-American general manager of Golden State

Ghanaian-American Ohemaa Nyanin has made history by becoming the first general manager of the newly established Golden State team in the Women's NBA.

The announcement was made during a press conference where Nyanin appeared alongside Warriors owner Joe Lacob.

Nyanin's responsibilities will include overseeing all basketball operations, including roster construction, team cohesion, and player development.

The Golden State team, founded this year, is slated to begin competing in the 2025 season.

Ohemaa Nyanin, who is a former basketball player, has a rich profile in administrative work in sports due to her significant achievements over the years.


Place of birth

Ohemaa Nyanin was born and raised in Ghana before her family relocated to the USA where she began her basketball career.

Education

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Foreign Language & Communication Media and a Master’s degree in Justice, Law, and Society from American University.

Basketball career

The major highlight of her basketball career was her time in college when she played for the American University team, the Eagles.

Her best year in college basketball came in the 2009-10 season when she started 31 of 32 games.

She graduated in 2010 and returned to AU a year later when she was appointed as the Head of Basketball Operations.

Spell with the USA women’s national team

She served as the assistant director for the USA women’s national team.

Within her five years of service, she played a key role in the team winning gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 World Cup in Spain.

Nyanin in the WNBA

Although she did not get to play in the WNBA as a player, her astonishing administrative career earned her a reputable role at the New York Liberty organization.

She spent five years and managed to climb the administrative ladder, ultimately serving as the assistant general manager.

In this capacity, she acted as a crucial liaison between the basketball and business sides of the team, contributing to negotiations involving free agency, trades, salary cap management, and roster decisions.

During her tenure with the Liberty from 2019 to 2022, Nyanin played a significant role in the team's achievements, including three playoff appearances and a trip to the 2023 WNBA Finals, where they entered as the second seed.


EE/BB