"Diversity in the room is good business," said honoree Swin Cash to a raucous applause from the audience. Cash is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and the senior vice president of basketball operations and team development for the New Orleans Pelicans.Photo: Getty Images for Sports Power Brunch
NEW ORLEANS—As it has for the last six years, the Sports Power Brunch dished out more than just awards. The annual event, which takes place during Super Bowl week, descended on New Orleans to serve up inspiration and innovation from some of the top women in sports today. This year's honorees at the brunch included the New Orleans Pelicans' Swin Cash, Delta Air Lines' Alicia Tillman, National Women's Soccer League champ Ali Krieger, the NFL's Dawn Aponte, and the HBCU Athletic Conference's Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes.
The event is produced by powerhouse PR and sports executive LaTonya Story, who first brought the brunch to life in Atlanta in 2019.
"I started it because I wanted to create an event that honored women I personally admired," she says. "It can be overwhelming at times to see how it's grown. We're honoring women who are mostly behind the scenes—we do some athletes and more prominent people in broadcast—but really it's to see the executive women, whether they're with the league, at an agency, or with a brand or in a role that a lot of people might not be familiar with."
For the 2025 iteration, the brunch welcomed over 400 attendees to Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans. Notable sponsors with on-site activations included ESPN Films, Porsche, Lululemon, and Jim Beam. Story tapped Cornelius Humphries of The Shaunta Brand for event management.
"They came with a design and concept and also fresh ideas and great vendors," Story says of their work together. "We go to different markets and often use different event planners, but there's a vision that I had, and I think I met someone who can match the vision that I have in my head and bring it to life."
Fun decor details included large wall decals in the entryway displaying the names of this year's honorees and their sponsors, plus two 20-foot-long step-and-repeats. Activations included an aura photo booth from Porsche (the luxury automotive brand also displayed its new Macan Electric in the Four Seasons' entrance), a claw machine from Lululemon, a floral photo op from ESPN Films, custom hats from Lids and Fanatics, and multiple bars and signature cocktails from Jim Beam.
Before a networking hour that closed out the event, ESPN Films also hosted a panel about storytelling and media. When the honorees accepted their awards, they also took the stage to provide words of wisdom and encouragement.
"This is why events like this are so important," Krieger said to the audience. "They remind us of our collective strength."
Cash, who is also a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, thanked Story for creating a space to celebrate and uplift the women in the room. "Our presence in this space is more than personal success," she said. "It's creating opportunities going forward."
Keep scrolling to see more from inside the 2025 Sports Power Brunch...
