Sonia Chase

From WNBA courts to boardrooms, Sonia Chase is a trailblazing professional athlete, sports business executive, and nonprofit leader. Chase currently serves as President of the Baltimore Starlings, Baltimore’s professional women’s basketball franchise in the UPSHOT League. 

A Baltimore native and University of Maryland alum, she is leading the Starlings as the organization prepares for its inaugural season in May 2027, bringing professional women’s basketball to the city and building a franchise rooted in the Baltimore community.

Chase brings nearly three decades of experience across professional sports, business and nonprofit leadership to the Starlings. Prior to joining the franchise, she served as an Associate Director within Secretariat’s Global Sports Consulting practice, advising clients across the sports industry on strategy, operations, and growth. She previously served as U.S. Sponsorships Operations Manager within Deloitte’s Marketing practice, leading logistics and analytics for a multibillion-dollar sports sponsorship portfolio involving the WNBA, USGA, USTA, Team USA, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, LA28, and other premier organizations and events.

Chase made history as the first woman from the University of Maryland to be drafted into the WNBA, playing for the Charlotte Sting and Minnesota Lynx. Her professional basketball career spanned nearly a decade and included seasons in Greece, Turkey, and China, as well as the NWBL, where she was a first-round draft pick and All-Star with the Birmingham Power. She also earned a gold medal at the USA Basketball Olympic Festival.

Beyond her work with the Starlings, Chase is the Founder, President and CEO of Chase Your Dreams Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through sports, leadership and personal development. Through the organization, she has worked to expand opportunities for youth across Baltimore and Washington, D.C.