Bates is in her first season as Stanford women’s basketball’s director of student-athlete development in 2024-25.
In this newly created role, she leads the program’s NIL efforts, building out program-specific strategies to elevate the influence and marketability of the team’s student-athletes. Working closely with the department’s in-house NIL general manager, Bates assists student-athletes to develop their portfolio of NIL deals and collaborates with Stanford’s external relations unit to enhance the visibility of the program. Among other responsibilities, she also coordinates community service initiatives for the team and workshops focused on financial literacy and long-term financial planning.
Bates came to The Farm following three years with the San Jose Sharks, first as an integrated marketing coordinator and later as the franchise’s brand marketing manager. She had previous stops with the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors as a special events and marketing coordinator and the San Francisco 49ers as an event sales and fundraising associate.
A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Redlands with a degree in media and communications, Bates received her master’s in sport management from Michigan.