Sports Illustrated and Empower Onyx are putting the spotlight on the diverse journeys of Black women across sports—from the veteran athletes, to up-and-coming stars, coaches, executives and more—in the series, Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports.
Long before becoming a leader in college sports, Dr. Tamica Smith Jones was a stand-out athlete with a magnetic personality, copybook stats and a work ethic that left nothing undone. But, she’s the first to admit her journey to becoming the chief operating officer of the athletic department at Kennesaw State University has been anything but perfect.