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The Award
Winning Executive
Natalie’s on-court dominance helped propel her into a 20+ year career within the WNBA and Sports Business. With NIKE, Natalie earned numerous awards and recognition, including the company’s prestigious EKIN of the Year in 2005, the highest achievement recognized for exuding NIKE’s principles and brand.
Natalie White Biography
Senior VP – Los Angeles Sparks
Founder, Natalie White Basketball LLC, and A10TION FOUNDATION Inc.
Award-Winning Sports Executive & Leader
The Award-Winning Executive
Natalie White was named Senior Vice President of the Los Angeles Sparks in January 2018. In the role, White has led core business operations, overseeing Ticket Sales, Sponsorship, PR, Marketing, Game Operations, Community Relations, and Youth Sports. In addition, White served as Interim President and COO throughout the 2021 WNBA season, where was the organization’s liaison to team ownership, the WNBA, and the Board of Governors.
Joining the Sparks in January 2018, White quickly guided the organization to back-to-back WNBA Ticket Sales Franchise of the Year Awards (2018-2019) as the Sparks led the league in attendance, growing ticket sales revenue over 100 percent year-over-year with an average annual revenue of $3.1 million. In addition, White’s marketing efforts helped the Sparks social media grow in followers by 40 percent and earn the 2019 WNBA Marketing Franchise of the Year Award. White’s efforts played a major role in the Sparks winning the 2019 WNBA Business Franchise of the Year Award.
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Connect with Natalie White on Linkedin
White has helped the Sparks launch five community relations pillars, including Health & Wellness, Women & Girls Empowerment, Youth Sports, Military Veteran/First Responders, and Social Justice. The Sparks programs have impacted over 90,000 children, teenagers, and adults.
White is a 12-year veteran of WNBA business operations, previously working for the Atlanta Dream from 2009-2017, ultimately becoming the Vice President of Basketball Operations. In that role, White oversaw player branding and assisted in the scouting and recruitment of players. Prior to that, she was the Senior Director of Sales for the Dream, growing ticket sales revenue over 125 percent year-over-year with an average annual revenue of $1.1 million.
In addition to her executive work, White also founded Natalie White Basketball, LLC, and A10TION Foundation, Inc., where she’s served over 1500 youths through basketball camps and academic mentoring. Currently, White is leading the efforts to renovate a gym in her hometown, Fort Valley, Georgia.
The Hall of Famer
White attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), where she earned a B.S. in communications and an M.S. in sports management. White played point guard for the Lady Rattlers, helping them to two regular season MEAC titles (1994, 1995) and the 1995 MEAC Tournament crown. During her career, FAMU earned its' first-ever NCAA Tournament bid (1995).
White, who earned the nickname ‘The Pocketbook’ holds the NCAA Division I record as the all-time steals' leader (624) and is second all-time in the school record books in assists (497). She led the nation in steals as a NCAA Division-I freshman (143), junior (172) and senior (191). The 1995 MEAC Player of the Year White still holds the NCAA record for total steals as freshman.
The guard earned All-MEAC First Team honors in 1993-1995. She was also a four-time Black College All-America recipient (1992-95). In 2001, she was named to the FAMU Hall of Fame, and in 2011 she was inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame and in 2021 recognized as one of the top 50 athletes with the MEAC.
White was awarded the 2019 FAMU NAA Distinguished Alumni Award in the field of athletics, she was also a 2020 Pepsi and Essence SHE GOT NOW honoree.
The Advocate
Whether speaking to students, running a camp, or teaching drills, Natalie has a true passion for helping the expansion of women's athletics. Understanding the importance of developing at a young age, Natalie teaches young athletes how to take what you learn from basketball, and use it to grow as a person.
Being a relationship builder, Natalie uses her platforms to fuse community partners in helping to promote the importance of academics and athletics in developing today's youth.
With a particular niche in women's athletics, Natalie consistently highlights and advocates for empowering women and equality on and off the court.
