COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The USA Basketball Foundation today announced the fifth Torch Leadership in Sport Mentoring cohort, including George Mason women's basketball manager, Nile Thaxton. The program will run from September 2026 to May 2027.
Torch provides opportunities for students at minority-serving institutions to be mentored by USA Basketball executive staff with the goal of empowering the next generation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) leaders in sport by introducing them to opportunities at USA Basketball and other sports-related entities.
"The Torch Leadership program continues to serve as a hallmark in extending opportunities to students from a wide range of backgrounds who are pursuing careers in sports," said Jennifer Lynne Williams, USA Basketball Foundation chief development officer. "As we welcome our fifth cohort and celebrate a record number of applicants, we continue to see tremendous growth in the program and its impact. Most importantly, we're seeing that impact extend well beyond the program, with Torch alumni now building careers across professional sports leagues, as well as within numerous other cutting-edge fields in sports or elsewhere."
Selected from among more than 290 applicants, the 2027 Torch cohort includes:
- Travis Dalton, Morehouse College
- Madison Galloway, Norfolk State University
- Denver Matthews, Morehouse College
- Joshua "JJ" Montelongo, University of Washington-Seattle
- Kaleb Moore, Hampton University
- Chiara Luna Pilato, Arizona State University
- Leah Richardson, Clark Atlanta University
- Will Sears, Morehouse College
- Zuri Sims, University of Central Florida
- Nile Thaxton, George Mason University
With 10 students selected, the 2027 Torch cohort is the largest since the program's inception, while five new universities will be represented in the group.
In addition to virtual mentoring opportunities with members of the USA Basketball leadership team, students will hear from other industry leaders and have additional in-person learning opportunities over the duration of the program.
Application requirements included having a minimum GPA of 3.0; having a junior, senior or graduate-level standing at a minority-serving institution; and submission of a resume, cover letter and letter of recommendation.
What inspired you to apply for the Torch Mentoring Program?
Nile: What inspired me to apply for this program was to be able to further expand my knowledge and network of the sports industry along with taking another shot since I didn't make it last year. Along with that, understanding how this program focuses on putting students like myself in spaces we aspire to be in.
What are your future career goals?
Nile: My future career goals are to work within a professional basketball front office and eventually become a president of basketball operations or general manager.
How do you think participating in Torch will help you reach those goals?
Nile: The program not only provides me a wealth of resources and network directly tied to pro basketball operations but with my mentor having previously worked as a general manager in the NBA G League, I'll have the opportunity to build and chart my oath and to utilize the new positions and space the program opens me up to along with utilizing my current spaces and opportunities effectively.
