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From an early age, Simpson dreamed of becoming a star in the WNBA.

That dream didn’t unfold exactly as she had envisioned, but she has still become a star—just in a different way. Today, she plays a vital role in the league’s newest franchise.

Simpson, a 2016 graduate of Selma High School, served as the superintendent for the construction of the Golden State Valkyries’ new practice facility in San Francisco. Completed just last week, the state-of-the-art space was finished in time for the NBA All-Star Game this weekend.

“This was never a part of my bingo card,” Simpson said. “Even a year ago, I could have never imagined that this would be what I’m doing and where I’m at right now. But I’m very grateful, very thankful.”

Working with DPR Construction, Simpson oversaw the development of the Valkyries Performance Center, a 31,800-square-foot facility designed for training and player development. It includes two full-size basketball courts, additional court space totaling 17 hoops, and modern amenities such as a locker room, weight room, training area, hot and cold pools, and a dedicated player lounge. The facility was originally the headquarters of the Golden State Warriors from 1997 to 2019, and great care was taken to preserve its historic character.

“We salvaged a lot of the original court, recycled a lot of the court,” Simpson said. “That in itself was also very tedious because we had to ensure that we kept all the logos. So there were a lot of cool things that I know I would not have seen on any other project.”

What made this project even more groundbreaking was Simpson’s leadership of a “predominantly female team” throughout the construction process—from the owners of the team to the designers. She acknowledges the rarity of such an opportunity in a traditionally male-dominated field and takes pride in the history being made.

“This is a part of history in so many ways,” she said. “Everyone that I’ve met here has told me this is the first project like this that they’ve ever had with a female superintendent.”

Simpson comes from a legacy of trailblazers. Her grandfather, Samuel Earl Shannon, was the first Black man to own a barbershop in Selma, while her grandmother, Dorothy Mae Evans, was the first Black woman to work for the Selma Police Department.

At Selma High, Simpson played basketball under Coach Anthony Harris, whose influence still shapes her approach to leadership. His lessons on resilience and adaptability continue to serve her well in the fast-paced world of construction.

“Through his coaching, I started to realize it’s not about the fumbles in the game, it’s all about how you recover,” Simpson said. “And that’s literally the construction industry. That’s the quote that I leave with my team. Things happen, but how you recover determines if you’re going to win or not.”

After graduating from Tuskegee University, Simpson joined DPR Construction in Orlando before relocating to California about five years ago. Her career has provided opportunities she never imagined—including financial stability that challenges common perceptions of the construction industry.

“Construction is never painted as a glamorous picture,” she said. “It’s very glamorous when you have plumbers and electricians pulling up in a $150,000 car.”

She wants young people, especially women, to know that construction offers rewarding career paths—ones that don’t always require a traditional college degree.

“Everyone pushes you to go to college and get a degree, which I did and I’m thankful that I did, but now that I know there are other options, that’s definitely a goal of mine to push that to the young men and especially young women,” Simpson said.

“If I would’ve ever known that this could be possible with construction, I wouldn’t have had second thoughts. But now that I know, it’s something that I definitely would say, look into trade schools. I have student loan debt, but I have contractors on my job site who have no debt because they went with the trade route, and on the high end our salaries are comparable”

Simpson also appreciates the opportunity to give back to her hometown. After an EF-2 tornado hit Selma two years ago, her company provided donations to assist with the recovery.

“We were sending boxes back with donations,” she said. “They donated money, they donated toiletries. We did a toiletry drive throughout the Bay Area. So anything that I say or want to do, this company has my back. I probably would’ve never known about a construction company this great if I just didn’t take that leap of faith.”

Even though she never made it to the WNBA as a player, Simpson finds it fulfilling to still be a part of the league in a different capacity.

“In my mind, I thought I was a really good player, but looking back, I missed too many shots,” she said, laughing. “But it honestly just motivated me to never give up on dreams. Although this is not what I expected, I’m still here, I’m still a part of the WNBA, I’m still a part of a great franchise—the Golden State as well as the Golden State Valkyries.

“They say, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.’ And He definitely has a sense of humor.”