In the archives of professional sports, May 2005 stands as a definitive moment for representation and leadership. At the MCI Center, Sheila Johnson made history by becoming the first Black woman to own a WNBA team, leading an ownership group to purchase the Washington Mystics. For Women’s History Month, her story serves as a reminder of what it looks like to claim a seat at a table that was never originally built for you.

Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), joined Lincoln Holdings LLC to acquire the Mystics from Abe Pollin’s Washington Sports & Entertainment. While her business acumen was already legendary, this move into the WNBA was personal. Pollin specifically sought Johnson out for the role, believing the time had come for a Black woman to manage a team in a league where the players and fans were predominantly Black women.

As president and managing partner, Johnson represented the team on the WNBA Board of Governors. Her presence challenged the traditional "boys' club" of sports ownership and signaled a new era for women in the executive suite.

Her tenure with the Mystics was only the beginning. Today, Johnson is the Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, holding the distinction of being the only Black woman with principal shareholder stakes in three professional leagues: the Mystics, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.