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Sparks Hire Andonian as GM, Snub Cash and Chatman
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- Sparks Hire Andonian as GM, Snub Cash and Chatman
The Los Angeles Sparks announced they have hired Ariana Andonian for their open General Manager position after firing Raegan Pebley back in July.
Following Pebley's departure after two and a half years with the organization, the team released the statement, which read, "We are grateful to Raegan for her leadership and commitment to the Los Angeles Sparks and women's basketball," said Managing Partner and Governor Eric Holoman . "Her work on the Sparks roster and player experience will have a lasting positive impact on our organization. We sincerely thank her for all she has invested in the Sparks and wish her success in her next chapter."
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As for Andonian, she comes with an NBA background as she has been general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, which is the G-league affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, while also serving as the 76ers' vice president of player personnel, according to Ap News.com .
"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 in a statement. "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."
Also Read: Should LA Sparks Fire Lynne Roberts, Rebuild from Ground Up?
Andonian is also a native of California who attended and graduated from the University of California. She also has an MBA from Duke University, where she had the opportunity to work with Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and current coach Jon Scheyer as a personnel consultant.
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" Coming home to Southern California to serve as general manager of the Sparks is an opportunity of a lifetime ," Andonian said .
" This is a franchise with a championship legacy, one that is part of the fabric of women's professional basketball, " Adonian continued. " 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 ."
In 2024, Andonian was hired by the 76ers as their vice president of player personnel, where she oversaw their scouting program and shared duties for their scouting effects.
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Last season, she was named Delaware Blue Coats General Manager. She also had stops with the Memphis Grizzlies, where she was the director of personnel, and the Houston Rockets working in basketball operations and scouting. At the time she was the only female in the NBA that held that honor.
Former New Orleans Pelicans and New York Liberty Executive Swin Cash Derick E. Hingle / Getty Images
Cash, Chatman, Horowitz Passed Over in Sparks' GM Search
According to WNBA Insider Nick Hamilton of Nitecast Media , there were some more qualified candidates, such as Swin Cash, Pokey Chatman, and Eli Horowitz, but they didn't even get a phone call from the Sparks or offers for consideration for the GM position, per several league sources.
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"Which is quite puzzling considering the team looks to move in an upward direction," said Hamilton.
Stating that the other three options would have been a better fit because of their experience within WNBA front office situations.
He acknowledged Andonian's knowledge of the game, but raised the question of whether she would have full control over basketball decisions regarding player personnel and coaching staff moving forward.
Hamilton also reported that Sparks' former GM Raegan Pebley was influenced by ownership to trade their second overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft in a three-team trade to acquire Kelsey Plum. That pick later turned out to be Dominique Malonga by the Seattle Storm.
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Related: Chicago Sky Star Angel Reese Has Been Traded
Per Hamilton, Plum was not just acquired for her skillset, but for what the organization thought would be her popularity to compete with other teams in the city, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Lakers, and the USC football team.
Plum would be later flipped at the 2026 WNBA trade deadline for assets from the Phoenix Mercury, since she informed the organization that she didn't plan to sign an extension.
However, if the Sparks elected to take Dominique Malonga or Kiki Iriafen, they could have paired either with the talent they had on the roster, which included Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, and Rae Burrell. That would have allowed them to be in a better position to build for the future, like what the Washington Mystics are currently doing.
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This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
