With Christine Simmons departing from her role as Los Angeles Sparks president and COO, that put the Sparks on a search for another front office person in addition to their much-ballyhooed head coaching change from Brian Agler to Derek Fisher.
Danita Johnson will assume the role of Sparks president and COO. She previously was part of the Los Angeles Clippers front office as its Director of Business Operations as well as previously working as the Sparks’ Senior Vice President.
This is a special organization that not only wins championships but is also a leader in Los Angeles when it comes to making an impact in the business of sports and community engagement. I want to thank our ownership group for the opportunity and I’m excited to step into this role at such an exciting time for the WNBA.
–Danita Johnson, new Sparks president, COO per press release
She has worked in various positions within the WNBA, NBA, and G-League and her resume includes stops with the Washington Mystics and Tulsa Shock.
Danita is one of basketball’s top sports executives and one of the few to serve in high-level positions in both the WNBA and the NBA. Knowing the Sparks and Los Angeles community well, she will not only quickly build on our current successes but will offer accretive new ideas as well.
–Eric Holoman, Sparks Managing Director and Governor per press release
Simmons left her post to accept a similar position within The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
