NEW YORK – Las Vegas Aces General Manager of Basketball Operations Dan Padover has been named the 2020 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year, the WNBA announced today.  Padover earned the honor as the league’s top basketball executive for the first time.

Padover received six of 11 first-place votes, two second-place votes and one third-place votes (37 points) from a panel composed of one basketball executive from each WNBA team.  Phoenix Mercury Executive Vice President/General Manager Jim Pitman finished in second place with 32 points, receiving four first-place votes and four second-place votes.

Executives were awarded five points for a first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote.

Under the direction of Padover and Aces’ President of Basketball Operations & Head Coach Bill Laimbeer, and behind the play of 2020 WNBA Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson and Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas tied for the best record in the WNBA (18-4) during the regular season. The Aces earned the top seed and a double-bye in WNBA Playoffs 2020 presented by AT&T and will begin their best-of-five WNBA Semifinals series vs. the Connecticut Sun today at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN).  

Padover, who joined Las Vegas in his current role in December 2018, reconfigured the Aces’ roster in February of this year with the signing of unrestricted veteran free agents Angel McCoughtry, a five-time All-Star and two-time league scoring leader, and three-time All-Star Danielle Robinson.  In May, Padover and the Aces re-signed center Carolyn Swords, who had retired and moved into a position with the team’s front office. The moves would pay dividends for Las Vegas, which subsequently entered the season without centers JiSu Park and Liz Cambage, and injured guard Kelsey Plum.

McCoughtry, the team’s second-leading scorer in 2020, averaged 14.4 points per game and Swords contributed 4.6 rebounds per game as both players started all 22 regular-season games for Las Vegas. Robinson played in all 22 games, seeing action off the bench in 21, and averaged 7.4 points per game, 3.3 assists, and 2.4 rebounds.

Below is a list of past recipients for the 2020 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award.

About the WNBA
The WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women.  Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion and social responsibility.  Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.

In 2020, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association signed a groundbreaking eight-year CBA that charts a new course for women’s basketball – and women’s sports overall – with a focus on increased player compensation, improvements to the player experience, expanded career development opportunities and resources specifically tailored to the female professional athlete.  Key elements of the agreement are supported through the league’s new partnership platform, WNBA Changemakers. Inaugural WNBA Changemakers include AT&T, Deloitte and Nike.

For more information, visit WNBA.com.