For the fifth year, before the teams hit the field at the Super Bowl, the impact of women in sports was celebrated at the Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Sports. Attendees, panelists, guests, corporate sponsors and honorees gathered at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to discuss pressing issues and acknowledge those women who have shattered the glass ceiling.
The Sports Power Brunch is the creation of veteran sports publicist LaTonya Story. In 2019, the Super Bowl was in her home city of Atlanta. “I wanted to do an event that honored women who I admired, like Amy Trask, Lisa Salters, Melanie Few, Natara Holloway, and Charece Williams Gee,” said Story. “I was fortunate enough to have those women accept the invitation and attend.”
Hosted by journalist and sports broadcaster Taylor Rooks, the 2024 honorees were Nikki Fargas (Impact Award), president of the Las Vegas Aces; Nicole Lynn (Dealmaker Award), agent and president of football, KLUTCH Sports Group; Sandra Douglass Morgan (Leadership Award), president of the Las Vegas Raiders; and Stacey Allaster (Trailblazer Award), chief executive of professional tennis, USTA.
That first event was at an Atlanta restaurant. Each year, it is held in the Super Bowl host city. Its growth leaves Story deeply appreciative. In addition to the brunch and awards presentation, there are panel discussions on pressing issues.
“There are so many amazing women who work behind the scenes in sports; even on the biggest stage like the NFL there are women in senior leadership roles—on the brand side, on the league side and on the team side,” said Story. “We don’t limit it to football. We’re able to celebrate all of the powerful women in sports.”
Visibility leads to more opportunities for women. Having this platform in conjunction with one of the biggest events in sports, the Super Bowl, allows remarkable women to shine and empowers young women to see what’s possible. One of this year’s panels featured women in sports law. The other panel was women at the intersection of sports and tech.
“There are many different ways to make an impact,” said Story, who directs partial proceeds of the event to the Sterling Legacy Fund, established in memory of her son who passed away from cancer. “Being able to not only highlight the women that we honor, but also reflected in the panelists.”