Susan O'Malley, who became the first female president of an NBA franchise when she was named to head the Washington Bullets in 1991, will step down from her post as president of Washington Sports and Entertainment when her contract expires June 30.

"I have spent several weeks tossing the idea around, so I've been thinking about it," Ms. O'Malley, 45, said yesterday. "I wanted to leave at the right time and I think this is it. I owe an enormous debt to [Wizards owner Abe] Pollin. My goal was to put enough talented people around me in place so when I left they would forget about me within a week."