LOS ANGELES – Sam Skinner has been promoted to UCLA Women’s Basketball’s assistant general manager ahead of the 2025-26 season, The Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach Cori Close announced Tuesday.
“I’m excited to open this new chapter with Sam,” said Close. “Sam has been an important addition to our program and has been really impressive with his contributions on and off the court. His analytics and work on the basketball side have provided valuable insight to our players, and he’s built important relationships to help them with the business side of things. He will continue to be an asset for our program, and I can’t wait to see what Sam will do in this expanded role.”
Skinner acted as the Director of Analytics & Strategy and NIL Liaison for UCLA Women’s Basketball from 2022 until September 2025. He assisted the team in NIL operation and the coaching staff with roster management, serving as the key point of contact for athletics, compliance and collective partners to ensure execution and alignment on those endeavors.
“In today’s constantly evolving college athletics landscape, we felt it would be essential to have a position that supports Coach Cori and our Women’s Basketball program in focusing on roster management and NIL strategy, among other things,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director, Academic and Championship Excellence Dr. Kenny Donaldson. “As a valued member of the staff for the few years as Director of Analytics & Strategy, NIL Liaison, we are excited to hire Sam as our first Women’s Basketball Assistant GM. He will be vital and continue to build the brand of UCLA Women’s Basketball through our goals of sustaining a championship culture, enhancing the student experience, and ensuring competitive excellence.”
Skinner also implemented advanced analytics into UCLA’s scouting, player development, and game planning operations to improve coaching staff strategy and in-game decision making.
Prior to his arrival in Westwood, Skinner spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks – he first worked as a basketball operations assistant starting in 2020 as the first-ever analytics coordinator for the California WNBA team. Skinner helped lead the integration of data analytics in coaching and basketball operations, and he assisted the team with logistical and administrative projects for his first two seasons with the Sparks. Skinner was promoted to video and analytics coordinator in the basketball operations department. He led all team film operations and advised the head coach and general manager on roster strategy, player evaluation, salary cap analysis and free agency decisions.
“I am honored to step into this new role for UCLA Women’s Basketball,” said Skinner. “From the moment I entered this sport, my passion has been to support the growth and success of our student-athletes, both on and off the court. UCLA embodies a tradition of excellence, a commitment to community, and a relentless drive to compete at the highest level – values that inspire me every day. I am excited to collaborate with Coach Close, our staff, and our talented student-athletes to build on that proud tradition. I cannot wait to get started and to contribute to shaping the future of this remarkable program.”
Skinner graduated from Brown University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History, where he was a student manager for the men’s basketball team. He completed a Master of Education in Transformative Coaching and Leadership from UCLA in 2024.
