LOS ANGELES — The Sparks have hired Ariana Andonian as the team’s new general manager, team officials announced on Friday afternoon.
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Andonian, 31, is the Sparks’ fourth GM since 2022. She replaces Raegan Pebley, whom the team parted ways with in July. Pebley was hired in January 2024. Karen Bryant served as the team’s GM in 2023, while former Sparks coach Derek Fisher was also the team’s GM until July 2022.
The Sparks are currently 15-25 overall with four games left in the regular season. They will miss the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, extending a franchise-worst drought that dates to 2020, when Candace Parker was still on the team.
Andonian comes to the Sparks after serving as the GM of the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. Andonian is also the 76ers’ vice president of player personnel. She has nearly a decade of experience in the NBA, working in scouting with the Houston Rockets and player personnel with the Memphis Grizzlies, and most recently with the 76ers.
“Coming home to Southern California to serve as general manager of the Sparks is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Andonian said in a news release. “This is a franchise with a championship legacy, one that is part of the fabric of women’s professional basketball. It was clear to me throughout this process that the Sparks ownership group is committed to delivering for our fans. My goal as GM is to build a culture of excellence centered around great people, strong processes and doing everything within our power to best support our players on and off the court. I’m truly grateful to be back home for an important chapter of Sparks basketball.”
Andonian graduated from USC and earned an MBA from Duke, where she worked directly with Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and current head coach Jon Scheyer as a player personnel consultant for the men’s basketball program.
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Sparks managing partner and governor Eric Holoman said Andonian’s vision for team building stood out during the hiring process.
“Ariana has distinguished herself throughout her career as an exceptional evaluator of talent and a thoughtful, forward-thinking basketball executive,” Holoman said. “She has earned the respect of some of the best basketball minds in the game, but what stood out to us throughout this process was her vision for building a team and an organization. Ariana understands the importance of identifying talent, developing players and creating a culture that can sustain success. We are thrilled to welcome her home to Los Angeles to lead the next chapter of Sparks basketball.”
Andonian will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of Sparks basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, scouting, and long-term basketball strategy.
She will officially join the organization later this month after attending the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which started Friday in Berlin.
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