Mercury hire Monica Wright Rogers as assistant general manager
Jan 6, 2023, 10:30 AM | Updated: 10:30 am
Monica Wright #22 of the Seattle Storm handles the ball against the Los Angeles Sparks during a WNBA basketball game at Staples Center on May 15, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Mercury on Friday hired former WNBA player Monica Wright Rogers as an assistant general manager, where she will serve as a “key connector” between the team’s front office, coaching staff, players and business operations staff, according to the team.
She will also oversee operations at the team’s practice facility and help in player evaluation, the Mercury said in a release Friday.
“I am extremely excited to join a world-class organization in the Phoenix Mercury,” Wright Rogers said in a statement. “I was immediately drawn to this opportunity to learn from reputable leaders in Jim Pitman and (Phoenix Suns president of basketball operations and GM) James Jones, and to work alongside our tremendous coaching staff and athletes.
“As a former WNBA athlete, I know first-hand the high standards and the championship mentality embedded in the Mercury culture, and look forward to joining the team.”
Wright Rogers played at Virginia and was the 2010 WNBA Draft’s second overall pick. She played for the Minnesota Lynx from 2010-2015 and played in 2016 with the Seattle Storm.
She was director of student-athlete development at Incarnate Word in 2017-18.
Wright Rogers served as an assistant coach for Liberty (2018-19) and Virginia (2019-21), then most recently worked in the NBA league office with the title of elite basketball women’s operations lead. She worked on grassroots basketball projects, including Basketball Without Borders camps.
“Monica brings great perspective to our newly-created role of assistant general manager as a former player, coach and most recently as an evaluator of international talent,” said Mercury general manager Jim Pitman. “We are excited to welcome Monica and her family to our organization and the Valley, and we look forward to adding her expertise to our operation as we pursue another WNBA championship.”
The hire of Wright out of the NBA league office follows the Suns, led by Jones, adding Morgan Cato as assistant GM and vice president of basketball operations in June 2022.
Cato previously served as associate vice president of business operations for the NBA league office.
