Lunch with Jamila Wideman

All ACBA members and guests are invited to join the WLD for a lunch with Jamila Wideman, the general manager of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Wideman is a lawyer, activist and former professional basketball player. During this lunch, she will discuss her professional journey, which began in professional sports, led to a career as an attorney, and ultimately resulted in her recent roles with the NBA and now the WNBA.

About Jamila Wideman

Jamila Wideman brings a legacy of excellence, advocacy, and leadership deeply rooted in Pittsburgh, where her father—acclaimed author and MacArthur Fellow John Edgar Wideman—originates. Her upbringing and family ties to the city have helped shape a lifelong commitment to justice, community engagement, and sport.

In 2025, Wideman was appointed General Manager of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, following a distinguished six-year tenure at the NBA league office, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Player Development. In this role, she led key initiatives related to player growth and well-being, managed strategic partnerships with external organizations, and directed the NBA’s mental health and wellness platform, Mind Health.

Wideman was a member of the WNBA’s inaugural draft class, selected third overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 1997 Draft. Over the course of her professional career, she also played for the Portland Fire and Cleveland Rockers, in addition to international stints in Israel and Spain. A standout at Stanford University, she helped guide the Cardinals to three consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances (1995–1997). While at Stanford and during WNBA off-seasons, Wideman founded the Stanford Athletic Alliance and later launched Hoopin’ with Jamila, a youth development program sponsored by Nike. The initiative earned national recognition, including USA Today’s "Most Caring Athlete" award in 1998 and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency’s "Community Award" for offering innovative alternatives to juvenile incarceration.

After concluding her playing career, Wideman earned a law degree from New York University School of Law. She then dedicated over a decade to public interest law, serving as a criminal defense and civil rights attorney with the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, and later with the Civil Division of the Legal Aid Society in New York City.

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