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Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil steps down as Silver Stars Chief Operating Officer

March 31, 2006 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
San Antonio Stars News Release


SAN ANTONIO - Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil has resigned her position as Silver Stars chief operating officer, announced Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) Executive Vice President of Business Operations Russ Bookbinder today.

Davis-Wrightsil will continue working with the Silver Stars organization through mid-April.

"I knew when I took on the job that it would take a considerable amount of time, energy, sacrifice and travel," said Davis-Wrightsil. "It was well worth it and I am happy with the direction that the organization is going.

"In life, we all have to make tough decisions for the right reasons. That time has come for me. I need to move forward with my life and get back to things that I set aside, spend more time with my family, pursue other passions and focus on building my foundation. I expect to always have a relationship with the organization and wish the Silver Stars great success."

Davis-Wrightsil joined SS&E in 2000 as the driving force behind bringing the WNBA to San Antonio. She spent countless hours in the community and behind the scenes creating awareness and excitement about women's basketball in San Antonio. Supported by the tireless efforts of Spurs management, front office employees, basketball staff and coaches, the Silver Stars launched their inaugural season in May 2003.

"We are grateful for the leadership role Clarissa has provided for our WNBA Silver Stars," said Bookbinder. "She has spent a tremendous amount of time in developing our franchise and building relationships in the community. She will continue to play a role in promoting the benefit of sport in the development of young people and will always be a part of our Silver Stars family."

Over the last three seasons Davis-Wrightsil has been responsible for overseeing the day to day business and basketball operations of the Silver Stars. During that time she brought in key players to the organization, drafting LaToya Thomas (2004 Expansion Draft), Kendra Wecker and Shyra Ely, while trading for Katie Feenstra, Chantelle Anderson and Shannon Johnson. Davis-Wrightsil also inked Marie Ferdinand, Dalma Ivanyi and Agnieszka Bibrzycka to free agent deals. Last August, she handed general manager duties over to Head Coach Dan Hughes and has worked tirelessly with the sales, marketing, public and community relations staff. Her primary focus was to bring in revenue, raise the level of awareness and continue relationships with season ticket holders, fans and partners in the community.

Behind Davis-Wrightsil's leadership the Silver Stars ranked first in the WNBA in group sales and second in sponsorship sales last season. In 2003, San Antonio ranked second in the league in sponsorship support and third in attendance, averaging 10,384 fans per contest.

"I am blessed and am very thankful to have been a part of the evolution of professional women's basketball in San Antonio," said Davis-Wrightsil. "I am very appreciative of the entire Silver Stars staff for their efforts over the years. Special thanks to Peter Holt and Russ Bookbinder as they have been great partners throughout the entire process, and they believe in the WNBA, the community and the advancement of women and girls through sport."

Davis-Wrightsil also will gain more time with her foundation, TeamXpress, a non-profit (501c3) sports-based mentoring organization dedicated to empowering girls through sport by providing positive role models and encouraging literacy, goal setting and community volunteerism, as well as providing national exposure and creating opportunities for girls to participate in basketball on the high school and collegiate levels.

"Being able to give back, enrich lives and provide opportunities for girls to realize their potential and goals in life is very rewarding," said Davis-Wrightsil. "I am pleased that more than 20 girls have received college scholarships in the last four years as a result of our involvement in their development on and off the court and I am looking forward to growing that list. They have gone on to places such as Boston College, UT-Austin, Baylor, Cornell, Hofstra and UTSA, just to name a few."

Davis-Wrightsil, a San Antonio native, led the University of Texas Longhorns to an NCAA title and a perfect 34-0 season in 1986. She later won a bronze medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. A former All-Star, multi-year All-American and National Player of the Year, Davis-Wrightsil will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame this April.

The Silver Stars open the 2006 season at Houston on May 21. Single game tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., April 5 in conjunction with the 2006 WNBA Draft. For more information, visit www.sasilverstars.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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