Jess Smith

Jess Smith is an American basketball executive who is the President of the Golden State Valkyries of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Early life Graduated from Auburn High School(Auburn NY), Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from State University of New York and a Master of Science degree from Ohio University.

Career Smith began her career with the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2015, in roles within ticketing and sponsorship. She then worked for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League from 2015 to 2016 as Director of Corporate Development. Smith next served as Vice President of Sponsorship for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer from 2017 to 2020. Smith then joined Angel City FC of National Women's Soccer League, where she served as Head of Revenue since the team’s inception in 2020. In that role, she oversaw partnerships, ticketing, commerce, operations, data and analytics, broadcast and strategic alliances.

Golden State Valkyries On February 14, 2024, Smith joined the Golden State Valkyries as President. Following the 2025 season, Smith was named the recipient of the WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award.