Val Ackerman

The WNBA’s first president, guiding the league to a much-heralded launch in 1997 and overseeing the day-to-day operations for its first eight years
In 2005, she became the first woman to serve as President of USA Basketball, which oversees the US Men’s and Women’s Olympic basketball programs
A USA Basketball board member since 1989, she was the driving force behind the Women’s Senior National Team that produced a 60-0 record and won the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta
First woman elected to represent the USA on the board of the International Basketball Federation
A four-year starter and two-time Academic All-American at the University of Virginia, she also played in France for one year.
In high school, she set a varsity record for most points scored (male or female) with 1,755 in her career
Recipient of the 2008 Naismith Hall of Fame John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award