L.A. Sparks to hire former 76ers executive Ariana Andonian as new GM

The Los Angeles Sparks are hiring Philadelphia 76ers vice president of personnel Ariana Andonian as their new general manager, the team announced Friday.

Andonian replaces Raegan Pebley, who LA parted ways with in July after 2 1/2 years with the organization.

The Sparks built out their front office significantly this past offseason after not investing in the team’s basketball operations for several years. Many of those hires came from the NBA, and Los Angeles still lacks a staff with significant experience in women’s basketball.

The search for Pebley’s replacement was led by Farhan Zaidi, special adviser to Sparks owner Mark Walter. This is the third executive hire the Sparks have received from the NBA in the past year.

They hired assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen from the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers before the 2026 season. Andonian has been with the 76ers for two seasons after seven years with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. She also consulted with Duke’s basketball program while earning her MBA.

Andonian is tasked with revitalizing one of the WNBA’s legacy franchises, which has fallen into disrepair of late. The Sparks will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season, but the winning trades left them with just two first-round picks from that stretch of the roster: Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell.

Andonian will be the public face of an organization that has been mostly quiet since Pebley’s departure, except seismic move for the Kelsey Plum deal within the trade deadline.

Andonian will also decide the future of coach Lynne Roberts, who is 36-48 in her two seasons in Los Angeles. Roberts has an uneven record in developing young Sparks players; while Burrell has made significant strides forward, Brink has been relegated to the bench and hasn’t had the same impact as other members of the highly touted 2024 draft class.

The franchise is on track to open a new practice in 2027, finally giving the team a home after years of displacement across the expanse of Los Angeles County.