Kings International Women’s Day Celebration to Honor Local Women Serving Sacramento Region

Source: Sacramento Kings

Over 150 Girls and Young Women to Attend Pre-Game Panel Discussion at Golden 1 Center 

Sacramento, Calif. – As part of the global event saluting women and their impact on society – International Women's Day — the Sacramento Kings will celebrate the stories of women leaders in the community who have inspired others, competed at the highest levels and are #SacramentoProud.

Throughout the day, the team will share posts featuring female staff members, including a Q&A with Matina Kolokotronis – the first woman in the NBA to hold the title of President and Chief Operating Officer – and a video profiling a day in the life of mother and Sacramento Kings Dancer Mariah. Additional posts from female leaders including Kings Assistant Coach Jenny Boucek will share insights into their careers, role models in their lives, and the importance of reflecting throughout Women’s History Month.

“Sacramento is a community full of strong, intelligent and accomplished women who all deserved praise for their incredible work and impact on our region,” said Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis. “We’re proud to honor incredible community champions at our International Women’s Day celebration and hope to inspire the next generation of female leaders and citizens of every background and gender.”

The following day, Friday, March 9, when the Sacramento Kings host the Orlando Magic, the team will continue their celebration of women by highlighting the work of community champions and inspiring leaders with special guests and a pre-game panel discussion.  

To tip-off the night, Sacramento County Public Library Executive Director Rivkah Sass, WNBA legend and Olympic gold-medalist Ruthie Bolton, Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, Sacramento Kings Assistant Coach Jenny Boucek and Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education President Jessie Ryan will join Adrienne Bankert of ABC News and Good Morning America for a panel discussion sharing their personal experiences, the challenges they have faced, and the moments of triumph in their lives. Over 150 girls and young women from local nonprofits, including the Women’s Leadership Academy and SheShares, will be guests of the organization for this inspiring and insightful pre-game panel. For those not in attendance, the panel will be live-streamed on Facebook.com/SacramentoKings.

During game breaks throughout the evening, in-arena entertainment will highlight female community leaders and celebrate the accomplishments women have made in the sports world and beyond. The Girls Varsity and JV basketball teams from Franklin High School will be in attendance celebrating their recent achievement of earning the highest team GPAs across the Elk Grove Unified School District, and female veterans who have served in various branches of the Armed Forces will be on hand as guests of the team as a show of gratitude for their service.

The team will look back at last weekend‘s Junior Kings all girls basketball camp featuring Kings Assistant Coach Boucek — one of two female assistant coaches in the NBA — and former Monarchs Coach Monique Ambers. In the first quarter, Rivkah Sass, Ruthie Bolton and Jessie Ryan will be the recipients of the Kings Women of Inspiration award presented by the Sacramento Kings Foundation and Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis.

Special vignettes in-game will salute the accomplishments of Kings Assistant Coach Boucek and Luella Johnson, the first woman to be elected to the Sacramento City Council. Hundreds Dance Unit, a group of diverse women dedicated to nurturing the mind, body and soul through dance, will take the court for a halftime performance.

For more information, visit Kings.com.