📰 Tragedy Strikes WNBA Leadership: Beloved Board Member Camille Jordan Passes Away at 56
“A visionary, a fighter, and a beacon of progress — Camille’s light will never dim.”
June 9, 2025 — The WNBA community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Camille Jordan, one of the league’s most influential board members, who passed away unexpectedly late Sunday evening at the age of 56 due to complications from a rare autoimmune condition.
Known for her relentless advocacy for women’s sports and equity in athletics, Jordan served on the WNBA Board of Governors for over a decade. Her leadership was instrumental in the league’s recent expansion efforts, player equity negotiations, and groundbreaking media rights deal announced earlier this year.
“She was more than a leader — she was the soul of our movement,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said through tears at a press conference Monday morning. “Camille believed in the power of sport to change lives. And she changed all of ours.”
Players across the league wore black armbands and observed a moment of silence before games Monday night. Teams also shared emotional tributes, including the Seattle Storm, whose players wept during warmups, holding up signs that read: “Thank you, Camille.”
Candace Parker, in a heartfelt Instagram post, wrote: “Camille was the reason I stayed in this league when times were tough. She reminded me of my worth, of our collective fight. I’m gutted.”
A native of Atlanta, Jordan was known not only for her business acumen but for her mentorship of young athletes, particularly Black and LGBTQ+ players. She frequently visited team facilities and often chose to sit courtside with fans rather than in executive suites.
“She never forgot where she came from, and she never let us forget who we were fighting for,” said Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike.
In accordance with her wishes, a public memorial will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn next week — the same arena where she once gave her now-iconic “Equity is not charity” speech.
The WNBA has confirmed it will rename its annual Leadership Award in her honor.
Camille Jordan is survived by her wife, Aaliyah Benton, and their two daughters.
A trailblazer is gone — but her legacy will echo across every court, every locker room, every young girl who dreams of playing under brighter lights.
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