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The Los Angeles Sparks are hiring Philadelphia 76ers vice president of player personnel Ariana Andonian as their new general manager, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the decision. Andonian is replacing Raegan Pebley, whom L.A. parted ways with in July following 2 1/2 years with the organization.
The search was conducted by Farhan Zaidi, special advisor to Sparks owner Mark Walter. This is the third executive hire the Sparks have made out of the NBA in the past year. They hired assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen from the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively, before the 2026 season. Andonian has been with the 76ers for two seasons after seven years with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. She also consulted with the basketball program at Duke while getting her MBA.
An Acclaro Medical employee was fired just more than a week after sending Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby a racist text. Fans quickly identified the employee after Hamby posted a screenshot of the text, with the sender's phone number, on social media on Aug. 24. Acclaro Medical confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that the employee is no longer with the company. The employee had originally been "suspended while an investigation is being conducted," Acclaro Medical told USA TODAY on Aug. 25. In a statement shared on social media, the company said "it condemns racism, harassment, hate speech and discriminating behavior in all forms" and the online remarks "do not in any way reflect the values and standards of the Company."
Last year, EquiTrust was sold to Amistad, one of the companies reportedly caught up in the DOJ investigation. Amistad’s managing founder is Holoman, who used to run Magic Johnson Enterprises and has been Johnson’s longtime business partner, including as governor of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and as his partner in JLC Infrastructure. The deal appears to have been debt-financed.
From what we’re told, the sale is for Walter’s shares in the Lakers. It doesn’t affect Walter’s ownership of the Los Angeles Sparks and doesn’t involve his ownership of the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Shams Charania: BREAKING: The Los Angeles Sparks are trading five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first round pick and a 2028 second-rounder, sources tell me and @kendra__andrews.
Shams Charania: Four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time champion Kelsey Plum is signing a one-year, $999,999 deal to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, per ESPN sources. Plum was in line for the $1.4 million supermax but opted to sign at discounted rate to give the Sparks financial flexibility to build a title-contending roster.
Chiney Ogwumike: BREAKING: 10x WNBA All-Star and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike intends to re-sign with the Los Angeles Sparks. She previously played 12 seasons in LA and “is looking forward to returning home.”
Bejamin Royer: Division II Cal State LA hires Lakers great Michael Cooper as men’s basketball head coach. Cooper had served as associate head coach since 23’. Cooper has led teams in the WNBA (LA Sparks, Atlanta Dream), women’s college basketball (USC) and in what’s now called the G League.
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Fresh off a historic 40-point performance in the finals of the Unrivaled season, WNBA player Kelsey Plum is taking a different shot: an AI twin. Fans can now voice call with a digital version of the Los Angeles Sparks star. Plum announced the twin on her personal Instagram account on March 6, asking her AI self for advice on her ponytail and coffee versus energy drink. Plum is the first professional female athlete to launch a verified AI digital twin. It’s a move that’s earning plaudits as a way for women in sports to take control of their image and expand their reach. “The opportunity to have a twin that can connect with fans, with young people, people that love basketball, people that are just interested in sports. The range is endless,” Plum says. “It’s where we are in society, and I think you are either gonna get with it or get lost.”
Because Plum is one of the first to step into this kind of AI digitization, she admits there might be learning curves with some of the twin’s responses. Those potential distortions are where Ashra hesitates. “I think there is a benefit to interactivity. I think the risks are on unexpected behavior,” he says. “All AI models are nondeterministic. You actually don’t know how they’re going to respond until they’re in that context.” He’s not the only skeptic. Since Plum’s Instagram launch, commenters haven’t been shy about voicing their concerns about this use of AI.
Sources said Zaidi has also been consulting with the Los Angeles Sparks. Walter and TWG Sports own the WNBA team as well.
Should Walter be approved, it would give him one the most valuable collection of professional sports franchises in the world. He is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who begin the World Series on Friday night in Toronto. Walter also owns the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, the Billie Jean King Cup, the new Cadillac Formula 1 team and the Professional Women's Hockey League. He is a part owner of Chelsea FC of the English Premier League.