The decades old Women’s National Basketball Association has passed the more established pro leagues in terms of administrative diversity.

In fact, the WNBA, which was founded in 1996, is lapping the field in that regard.

Earlier this year, Lisa Michelle Borders became the WNBA’s second consecutive African-American president when she succeeded Laurel Richie.

Major League Baseball, founded in 1869; the National Hockey League,1917; the National Football League, 1920; the National Basketball Association, 1946; and Major League Soccer, 1993; have never had an African-American lead executive. That comes despite the fact that, for many years, a majority of players in the NFL and NBA have been African-American.

The WNBA is avant-garde also in that its No. 1 executive has the title of president while other sports leagues label the position as commissioner.

The 58-year-old Borders, hired Feb. 10 as the WNBA’s fourth president, had her public coming out party as mistress of ceremonies of the WNBA draft in mid-April in Connecticut.

Borders introduced the draftees at the podium with her own personal touch. Instead of the customary hugging and high-fiving, Borders greeted each woman with a pound and then a “W” three-finger gesture, short for WNBA.

In turn, the young athletes respectfully returned the “W” sign to their president.

Most recently, Borders, an Atlanta native, was vice president for Global Community Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company.

From 2004 to 2010, she served as president of the Atlanta City Council and was a candidate for Atlanta’s mayor in 2009.

She was instrumental in 2007 in the Atlanta Dream becoming an expansion member of the WNBA, with co-female owners Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler.

Ms. Borders received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and master’s degree from the University of Colorado. She is a member of Duke University’s Board of Trustees.

She is the granddaughter of the Rev. William Holmes Borders Sr., a civil rights activist, radio host and pastor at Atlanta’s Wheat Street Baptist Church from 1937 to 1988.