As the NBA makes steady progress on diversity at the league office, the G League is joining the moment. When the NBA saw a record 43.3% of professional staff roles held by women in 2023, the latter witnessed Tori Miller and Amber Nichols leading the march by becoming the general managers. Now Katie Benzan has joined their ranks.
She did it in style, too, becoming the youngest general manager in the NBA G League’s history. The 27-year-old will be managing the Salt Lake City Stars team. To back this, she has an illustrious career, both as a player and as a managing staff. Let’s take a deeper look into the life of Benzan as she became the youngest GM.
Who is Katie Benzan, and what is her background in basketball?
For the uninitiated, Katie Benzan is a former American professional basketball player born on May 16, 1998, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. While not much is publicly known about her early life, she attended Noble and Greenough School before enrolling at Harvard University in 2016. There, she quickly made her mark, becoming one of the Ivy League’s standout players. The young guard earned All-Ivy League First Team honors in each of her three seasons with the Crimson.
Her junior year featured a career-high 27-point performance against Quinnipiac. However, she chose to forgo her senior year at Harvard, instead transferring to Maryland for her graduate year. She wasted no time making an impact.
In her first season with the Terrapins, Benzan led the nation in three-point percentage (50%), averaged 12.7 points per game, and set a program record for most three-pointers in a single game against Iowa (9). She went on to break Maryland’s career three-point percentage record, finishing at 47.4%.
I still use my #MerrillMade education every day! Extremely grateful to have learned from the best in the business! https://t.co/FcPfDnyEqh
— Katie Benzan (@katiekbenz) June 19, 2025
Benzan entered the 2022 WNBA Draft but went undrafted. Still, she earned a training camp contract with the Washington Mystics and made history on May 8, when she checked into her first game– Benzan was the Dominican player to play in the WNBA. Although her professional playing career was brief, Benzan found a new purpose off the court.
How did Katie Benzan rise to become the youngest general manager in NBA G League history?
After stepping away from her playing career, Katie Benzan transitioned into the front office with the Utah Jazz organization, marking the beginning of a new chapter in basketball. She joined as a basketball operations generalist, a role she held for two seasons (2022–24). Her rapid rise continued in the 2024–25 campaign when she was promoted to assistant general manager of the Salt Lake City Stars and also took on the role of coordinator of pro scouting for the Utah Jazz. In doing so, she became the first woman in franchise history to hold a front office position, breaking new ground once again.
On June 10, 2025, Katie Benzan was officially promoted to General Manager of the Salt Lake City Stars. In her expanded role, she will also serve as the Utah Jazz’s Manager of Pro Scouting for the 2025–26 season, taking on dual responsibilities that reflect her growing influence within the organization. With this appointment, Benzan not only became the youngest woman to hold a GM position in NBA G League history, but also the youngest active GM in the league. She is currently one of just two women serving as a G League general manager.
Her promotion comes on the heels of Marquis Newman’s transition to the Jazz front office as Director of Pro Scouting, paving the way for Benzan’s historic rise. “Katie is incredibly bright and has been diligent in studying her craft,” said Justin Zanik, Jazz general manager. “She brings a unique perspective to our organization and has proven to be a valuable addition to our front office over the past three seasons.
What sets Katie Benzan apart as a young executive in a male-dominated industry?
Katie Benzan stands out as a rising executive in the male-dominated world of professional basketball, not just for breaking barriers but for the unique blend of skills she brings to the table. A former elite basketball player, Benzan understands the game from the inside out. But what also sets her apart is her academic background.
She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Maryland. Whether conducting player interviews, writing internal reports, or assessing talent, her ability to communicate with clarity and purpose enhances her effectiveness in this new role. Benzan attributes her leadership style to her playing days, especially as a team captain, where she learned how to have tough conversations and lead collaboratively.
Despite receiving collegiate coaching offers, she opted to step out of her comfort zone and move across the country to join the Jazz. As she rises through the ranks, Benzan is not just paving her own path, but she’s inspiring a new generation of women. Her story is one of both skill and courage.
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