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Aces will not renew contract of GM Natalie Williams as part of front office restructuring

Las Vegas is parting ways with Williams, who led the team to back-to-back championships since being hired in 2022

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 20: General manager Natalie Williams (R) of the Las Vegas Aces takes a selfie with A'ja Wilson #22 as she holds the championship trophy onstage during the team's WNBA championship victory parade and rally on the Las Vegas Strip on September 20, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun on Sunday in Game Four of the 2022 WNBA Playoffs finals to win the 2022 title. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Aces GM Natalie Williams helped Las Vegas to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, with the help of star player A'ja Wilson. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Las Vegas Aces are parting ways with general manager Natalie Williams, the team announced Saturday. In a statement, Aces president Nikki Fargas said that the team will not renew Williams' contract, saying that the decision was part of an effort to restructure the front office.

Williams joined Las Vegas as general manager in 2022. She led the team to back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023.

"We are incredibly grateful for Natalie’s invaluable efforts in helping build the Aces into the premier franchise in the WNBA," Fargas said in the statement. "Her time with the organization extends back to the league’s formative years in Utah, and she will forever be a part of our history, having left an indelible mark as both a player and an executive."

Williams was a four-time All-Star during a seven-year career in the WNBA, playing for the Utah Starzz and Indiana Fever during the early years of the league.

In the statement, Williams said that winning championships with the Aces team had been "a dream come true."

"It has been a joy and honor to serve as General Manager of the Las Vegas Aces," Williams said, adding that she is "looking forward to what lies ahead."

This marks the second major change of the offseason for the Aces organization: Assistant coach Natalie Nakase was hired by the Golden State Valkyries as their inaugural head coach earlier this month.