Bethany Donaphin '94 Named on Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 List

For the most part, dancing and music lessons took up Bethany's time while a student at Cathedral, and it wasn't until she was in 7th grade that she started to play basketball. She was an all-star player at Stanford before continuing on to play for New York Liberty and abroad in Spain, Turkey, and Italy. Although her playing career ended in 2008, she knew there would always be a place for her in sports. Bethany went on to get her MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, worked in the consulting space at Deloitte for a few years, and found herself back at the WNBA in her current role as the Head of League Operations. She comments that "being able to use actual basketball knowledge married with my business experience means coming full circle."

When asked about her experience at Cathedral and how it has impacted her journey, Bethany shares that the nurturing community always made her feel welcome and cared for. It prepared her academically and for other facets in her life. The teachers and staff are most memorable to her, especially Ms. Brown, who was such a mainstay, since she would walk into school and see her at the front desk every day. When asked what advice she would give to current students and young alumni, she shares, "The thing that should ground you is having a north star in how you operate: working hard, being kind, building relationships, and stopping to think about what gives you purpos." Cathedral is proud of Bethany and looks forward to seeing how she continues to follow her ‘north star’!