Morgan Cato becomes first woman of color to be hired by an NBA team as Assistant GM

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Updated 1014 GMT (1814 HKT) June 21, 2022

Cato will join the Phoenix Suns after serving as the NBA's associate vice president of business operations.

(CNN)The Phoenix Suns have named Morgan Cato as Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations, making her the first woman of color to hold the Assistant General Manager title for an NBA team, according to the NBA.

The Harvard Business School graduate will report to General Manager James Jones and work with head coach Monty Williams in several areas, including leadership and strategy for coaching development, player engagement and front office personnel operations. Cato most recently served as the NBA's associate vice president of business operations for League Operations, where she worked on growing the game through strategic initiatives, including a basketball talent pipeline and related programs, the launch of the Basketball Africa League, and advocacy for women and people of color in basketball operations.«With the league office Morgan played a pivotal role on countless initiatives to grow the game and strategically develop for it to be played at its best,» Jones said in astatement Monday. Golden State Warriors win NBA championship with Game 6 victory over Boston Celtics«The addition of her background and knowledge will allow us to elevate our basketball operations in several areas.»Read MoreThe Suns were a 64-18 record this past regular season, and three games clear of their previous franchise best, before losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.