One of new Sparks general manager Ariana Andonian’s decisions is going to be Lynne Roberts’ future as head coach.
LOS ANGELES – Although the Los Angeles Sparks have been on break since their Aug. 30 win against the Seattle Storm right before the start of the FIBA World Cup, the organization didn’t go without making major headlines. The Sparks hired a new general manager in longtime NBA executive Ariana Andonian. The franchise had been without a general manager since the firing of Raegan Pebley back July.
In the interim, assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen had been serving as acting general managers amid several roster moves the team made right before the break. With practice starting back up again this week Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts spoke for the first time publicly about her initial reaction to Ariana Andonian taking over as general manager.
“I’ve had conversations. She’s at FIBA right now,” Roberts said following practice on Friday. “I’m excited to get her here and work with her. She’s young, she’s energetic, she’s got good ideas.”
Andonian joined the Sparks after spending the last two years with the Philadelphia 76ers. She began as vice president of player personnel before becoming general manager of the 76ers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
Prior to that, she worked for the Memphis Grizzlies as director of player personnel since 2020. Andonian get her start in the NBA with the Houston Rockets in 2015 in the team’s scouting and basketball operations departments. She also served as a consultant with the Duke Blue Devils under Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer.
Coincidently, one of Andonian’s first tasks of the offseason is going to be making a decision on Roberts future as head coach.
Sparks’ finish to 2027 WNBA season
Lynne Roberts’ future won’t be decided until after the year is over, and the Sparks still have four games remaining in the regular season after having already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The team had their first full run-through on Friday with the entire 14-player roster since the break, and Roberts felt like the energy from the group was good.
“It went good. The vibes were good, you never know how everyone is going to come back,” Roberts said. “I was pleased with the energy. We’re gonna go slow, not too slow, but can’t do too much on the first day. Dog tomorrow. It was a good first day.”
One of the tasks Roberts has in the days leading up to the Sparks’ next game, on the road against the Dallas Wings on Sept. 17, is integrating the new roster additions. Right before their last game against the Storm, the Sparks’ waived both Alissa Pili and Kate Martin while claiming Aaliyah Nye off waivers and signing Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Shyanne Sellers to developmental contracts.
While the trio of new players had been in the facility during the break, Friday was the first time the coaching staff worked them in with the rest of the team. For Roberts, this period harkens back to training camp.
“They’ve done a good job. They’re learning. We’ve done film with them, they’ve done all sorts of stuff the last three days to try to get them ready for today. And I think they did a good job,” Roberts said. “There’s some teaching, and then just refine some things that we’ve been working on with the roster we got right now.”
LOS ANGELES – Although the Los Angeles Sparks have been on break since their Aug. 30 win against the Seattle Storm right before the start of the FIBA World Cup, the organization didn’t go without making major headlines. The Sparks hired a new general manager in longtime NBA executive Ariana Andonian.