Sparks name Ariana Andonian as new General Manager

LOS ANGELES — The Sparks front office is starting to rebuild.

Two months after the team and Raegan Pebley parted ways, the Sparks named Ariana Andonian the new General Manager. Andonian was recently from the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA where she served as the Vice-President of player personnel as well as the General Manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers' G-League affiliate. Andonian is actually from California herself and graduated from the University of Southern California so she's returning to her home state with this Sparks position.

This was first reported by Sabreena Merchant of the Athletic.

“Coming home to Southern California to serve as general manager of the Sparks is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Andonian said in a press 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.”

“Ariana has distinguished herself throughout her career as an exceptional evaluator of talent and a thoughtful, forward-thinking basketball executive,” said Managing Partner and Sparks Governor Eric Holoman. “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 started her NBA career with the Rockets in 2015 where she held numerous roles in basketball operations and scouting. At the time, she was the league's only female scout. She would join the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020 as director of player personnel before joining the 76ers in 2024.

After Pebley left the team, assistant GMs Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen took over in the interim. They were busy in the last couple of months, including executing the trade that sent Kelsey Plum to Phoenix.

As the Sparks General Manager, she will oversee the team's basketball operations, which includes roster construction, player personnel, scouting, and long-term basketball strategy.

Andonian is currently at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin. She will join the team in Los Angeles later this month as the third General Manager in the last four seasons.