Teresa Resch Named Raptors VP of Basketball Operations and Player Development

The Toronto Raptors have set up their front office for the 2015-16 season, promoting Teresa Resch to vice president of basketball operations and player development.   

According to a press release from NBA.com, Resch will maintain her responsibilities for development programs and as a liaison between basketball and business operations. Dan Tolzman was also promoted to director of player personnel for the Raptors. 

When Resch was originally hired by the Raptors in 2013, the Canadian Press noted that she had worked at the NBA league office in New York for five years: "Resch worked at the NBA league office from 2006 to 2011, assisting the international basketball operations department in operating Basketball without Borders Camps in four different continents. She was instrumental in the establishment of the first camp to feature women."

While Resch isn't technically a new hire for the Raptors, her promotion to a more prominent position within the organization speaks to how highly general manager Masai Ujiri and the rest of the organization views the work she has already done and will continue to do. 

This has been a banner summer for women moving into prominent positions in sports. Becky Hammon was the head coach for San Antonio's summer league team that won a title; Nancy Lieberman was hired by Sacramento as an assistant coach. In the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter as preseason intern coaching inside linebackers. 

Resch's promotion is just the latest step for more powerful and prominent females in professional sports. It's an exciting development that will hopefully lead to additional opportunities for qualified women in the future.