The Los Angeles Sparks hired Ariana Andonian as general manager, the franchise announced Friday.
Andonian previously was GM and vice president of player personnel for the Philadelphia 76ers' G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. She replaces Raegan Pebley, who was fired July 12. Assistant GMs Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen had served in the GM role on an interim basis.
"Coming home to Southern California to serve as general manager of the Sparks is an opportunity of a lifetime," said Andonian, a USC graduate and California native. "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."
The Sparks will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season and are 15-25 at the current break for the FIBA World Cup, which Andonian will attend.
The team is in a transition period, with veteran forward Nneka Ogwumike retiring after this season. Another player the Sparks thought would be a key to the future, guard Kelsey Plum, was traded to Phoenix in August and will be a free agent.
Andonian will oversee all aspects of the Sparks' basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, scouting and strategy. She will also decide on the future of coach Lynne Roberts, who is finishing her second season in Los Angeles.
"Ariana has distinguished herself throughout her career as an exceptional evaluator of talent and a thoughtful, forward-thinking basketball executive," Sparks managing partner and governor Eric 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."
Andonian started her NBA career in 2015 with the Houston Rockets, spending four seasons working in basketball operations and scouting. She then earned an MBA at Duke and worked with former coach Mike Krzyzewski and current coach Jon Scheyer as a player personnel consultant for the men's basketball program.
Andonian then spent four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, leading the organization's high school and international scouting. She joined the 76ers in 2024 as vice president of player personnel before also taking over the Blue Coats in 2025.
Andonian will be the Sparks' sixth GM since the franchise debuted as one of the WNBA's original teams in 1997. Most of the turnover has occurred in the past seven years. The Sparks have had instability in the role since the departure of Penny Toler, a former WNBA player who was the franchise's GM from 2000 to 2019. She was fired Oct. 4, 2019, after the Sparks were swept in the WNBA semifinals.
Former NBA player Derek Fisher, longtime WNBA executive Karen Bryant and Pebley have served as the Sparks' GMs since then. Fisher also coached the Sparks.
