Jamila Wideman has added another chapter to an already illustrious basketball career, as the WNBA’s Washington Mystics announced Wideman as the organization’s general manager late last month.

Wideman was a star on the Amherst Regional girls basketball team in the 1990s. In 1993, she led Amherst to a 24-1 record en route to a state championship. The ‘Canes won that state title by a score of 74-36, demolishing a favored Haverhill team. They were ahead 51-6 at halftime.

Amherst’s team at the time garnered national recognition, spawning the book “In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle” by  Pulitzer Prize-winning author Madeleine Blais, and appearing weekly on ESPN. That season, gymnasiums across western Massachusetts were packed in tight to watch Wideman and the Hurricanes put on a show.

Wideman looked like she was playing a different game than the others on the floor, and it was clear a future in basketball would be in store for her. She attended Stanford to play Division 1 basketball, and after helping the Cardinal to three straight Final Four (1995-97), she was selected with the third-overall pick in the first-ever WNBA draft back in 1997.

Wideman joins the Mystics as GM after spending six years in the NBA league office, where she most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Player Development. She oversaw the league’s player development initiatives, managed relationships with external organizations and spearheaded the league’s mental health and wellness platform, Mind Health.

“Jamila’s breadth of experience, range of core competencies, and passion for developing the whole athlete, makes her the ideal person to usher in the new era of Mystics Basketball. Together with her player connectivity, big picture vision, and intimate knowledge of the global scope of our game, we feel strongly that Jamila will be a bedrock for our athletes, coaches, and staff as they pursue another championship for the DMV,” said team president Michael Winger.

The Los Angeles Sparks drafted Wideman in ‘97, and she also played for the Portland Fire and Cleveland Rockers. Wideman also has international experience, playing professionally in Israel and Spain.

“I have strong roots in the WNBA and have had the privilege of playing with, working alongside, and witnessing the incredible people who are the athletes at the center of the game,” Wideman said. “The very best I have seen share some core qualities – curiosity, humility, and imagination. I look forward to building a Mystics team in partnership with the players, coaches, and staff that reflects this core. I hope to create a space where player voices and aspirations are centered in all we do on and off the court. We will build with intention, humanity, and joy.”