Once Jessica Gelman was done putting up her own numbers, she embarked on a second career analyzing those of others. Today, the former basketball star (she was recently honored as one of Harvard's "Fab 5" athletes) runs KAGR, a SAAS solution and data warehouse for clients that include the L.A. Rams, the Philadelphia 76ers and the NCAA. Gelman is also the co-founder of the industry-defining MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and a new part owner of the NWSL's Utah Royals, whose season just began. We caught up with her after she attended the Women's Final Four weekend. (Gelman's first visit to the tournament occurred in 1993, and, yes, things have definitely changed!)

On what data can do for you:

"My comfort with analytics gave me a distinctive voice in the male-dominated world of sports, so I encourage other women to get comfortable with it, too. You don't have to actually be able to do the analysis. That's only one skillset. You can also have domain expertise and a flair for storytelling to highlight — 'why is this information important?' — or translate — 'how can these insights be applied to drive change?'"

On what the numbers mean to her:

"We're still in the early days of data analysis so we're still focusing on overcoming the problem of 'garbage in, garbage out.' The amount of data created each year keeps accelerating. Many suggest that 90% of the data in the world was created in the past two years, and it's going to double every two years; that's mind boggling. We're establishing foundational data, because once we have data we can trust, we can use it more effectively. For example, we're working now with the NCAA to help better capture information about who comes to their 90+ championships and then, in turn, we will help them better market to collegiate fans, selling the right products at the right pricing to ensure high championship attendance. Ultimately, this data will even help identify the right markets to consider hosting the championships."

On staying true to yourself:

"It's funny; basically I've had four startups — KAGR, the Sloan conference, a basketball camp for girls and now the Utah Royals. However, I didn't think of myself as an entrepreneur until recently. I have always known to follow my heart, and each of these efforts is a result of that. KAGR came from the real day-to-day pain we were experiencing when I ran the customer-facing business lines of the New England Patriots. Sloan started after my best friend Daryl Morey moved to Houston to become GM of the Rockets, we wanted to continue doing something together. We didn't conceive it could evolve into what it is today. The basketball camp was the result of a vow I made to myself in sixth grade when I was the only girl in all-boys' clinics and wanted to create an opportunity for girls too — and I did that when I came back from playing pro basketball in Israel. My involvement in the Utah Royals comes from my passion to effect change in women's sports."

On having an overarching mission:

I want to put my energies into growing women in sports across three dimensions — women in leadership roles, early career education and mentorship programs, and investment in women's sports. First, at KAGR, 65% of the executive team is female and we engage the community by inviting women in sports, technology, and analytics at local colleges for events in our office. The Sloan conference is very much about the idea that if you see it you can be it; almost half of our speakers are women or represent diverse backgrounds. And as a student-run non-profit, every panel or presentation is available online for free. Lastly, with the Royals, I have another opportunity to work with people with a shared vision of empowering and investing in women and to use analytics to drive change specifically for women's sports. Plus, owning a sports team is a lifelong dream of mine to affect change in that way too."

On translating lessons learned on the court:

"When I played basketball, knowing others' strengths and weaknesses was critical to my success: Some players liked to catch and shoot, others preferred to take it off the dribble, and recognizing those nuances made all the difference. The same is true in the business world and with analytics. At KAGR, we are constantly working to understand how our employees think and act. We solicit quarterly anonymized feedback from them via surveys, because I see it as very important data. Then, once per year, I personally ask for insights with questions like 'what do we do well?' and 'where do you see opportunities?' But, I also ask about their career aspirations and about the coaching and management they get within the organization. This really helps me understand our team's experiences and how we need to continue to evolve and grow."

On making your players better:

"When we created KAGR and I became a CEO, I compared it to moving from being a captain to becoming a coach. As captain, you're a player who is in the game; as a coach you set the game plan and vision for the players. That means making adjustments or even changing who's on the court. In any event, I try to identify the things that only I can do and the things that are the best use of my time. One of those things is helping each member of our team be the best they can be. Coaches have to want to care about their people's development, and I really do. I think the point of life is to become your best self."