On Tuesday, Ariana Andonian made her first appearance to the media as the new general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks. Andonian has worked in basketball for 11 years, most recently as the vice president of player personnel for the Philadelphia 76ers.
In her introduction, Andonian started with an opening statement that thanked ownership as well as her family that “never laughed at the young girl who wrote her school reports on Lisa Leslie, and believed basketball could be more than just a hobby.”
Andonian made her values clear: hard work, collaboration, and good character. Throughout the press conference, she repeated one primary goal: “sustained success.” Asked about a rebuild, the head coaching search, the roster’s cornerstone players and her timeline for any of it, Andonian gave answers that were thoughtful and polished, but lacked detail.
In fairness, the Sparks named Andonian general manager earlier this month, two months after her predecessor, Raegan Pebley, was fired. She’s only been on site for a few weeks, the upcoming draft lottery leaves a lot up in the air, and there is no sitting head coach. Nobody expected a five-year plan with footnotes. But the lack of details may flummox Sparks fans who have been tasked with patience repeatedly for the past decade.
The clearest test came when Andonian was asked whether the Sparks are rebuilding, a possibility Sparks special advisor Farhan Zaidi floated earlier this year. Zaidi was seated in the back of Andonian’s introduction, but did not speak to the media.
“I think that putting any title and plan on exactly what we’re going to do going forward is probably a bit unfair for where we are right now,” Andonian said. She went on to say that the front office has to consider “not only what is best for the 2027 LA Sparks, but what’s best for the 2032 LA Sparks.” She said that the team will need to focus on making “a lot of long-term decisions, and taking time to assess and making sure we have super high standards across all departments.”
On the head coach search, Andonian detailed a generic, but fair wishlist: an excellent leader, a strong communicator, collaborator, and developer of talent. She did say the GM and coach relationships she’s seen succeed “are the ones that are super collaborative,” and that she plans to work closely with the next hire. She said the team wants to “cast a wide net” and would not require WNBA experience, and that she doesn’t have a specific deadline by which she’d like to fill the role.
Her description of the players she plans to target as she builds (or rebuilds) the Sparks’ next roster was similarly broad. She wants those “above a certain baseline of talent” with “the best work ethic who also have the best quality of character.” Pressed on whether she prioritizes positional versatility or analytics, she noted that she’ll need to work with the coaching hire as they determine the right type of player that aligns with both her own and the new head coach’s “visions.”
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There were a few concrete takeaways. Assistant GMs Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen, who ran the front office on an interim basis after Pebley was fired, appear to be staying. “I look forward to working with them in the future,” Andonian said
Andonian said she met individually with every player at the end of the season and asked for feedback, though she said those conversations are “better to keep one on one.” She is excited about the Sparks’ two looming lottery picks, which currently sit at 6th and 7th.
While Andonian has no WNBA experience, she cited her NBA experience as what prepares her for this moment. “I feel really lucky that I’ve worked for what I think are some of the best professional sports organizations in the world, regardless of men’s or women’s basketball,” she said. And when asked about representation for women and women of color specifically in WNBA coaching, she spoke to her experience in the NBA, saying that seeing women who came before her “really mattered to me,” adding that she definitely thinks about that in terms of the players’ experience.
After the press conference, Andonian opted not to linger, while the remainder of the Sparks staff, including Sparks president Stacy Johns and assistant coach Danielle Robinson, stayed to speak with members of the media.
Andonian came across as prepared, likable and careful. She also came across as someone who has decided that the smartest thing to say in week three on the job is as little as possible. Until the Sparks make their head coach hire, Andonian’s point of view on the direction of the franchise will remain a question mark.
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