Ariana Andonian Named General Manager of Los Angeles Sparks
BY MANUEL MARSELIAN
Ariana Andonian’s rise through the ranks of professional basketball has reached a new milestone. On September 4, the Los Angeles Sparks named the Armenian-American basketball executive their new General Manager, bringing one of professional basketball’s rising front-office figures back home to Southern California.
Born in California and raised in Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego County, Andonian grew up with strong connections to both basketball and the Armenian-American community. She is the daughter of John and Cynthia Andonian, who served as Honorary Presidents of the 48th Homenetmen Navasartian Games & Festival. Andonian attended The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, where she played basketball as a guard, before enrolling at the University of Southern California.
Her path into professional basketball began in an unusual way. While a student at USC, Andonian gave a campus tour to the daughter of then-Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. A conversation about basketball eventually helped open the door to an opportunity with the Rockets.
After graduating from USC in 2015 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Law, Andonian joined Houston as a basketball operations and scouting intern. She quickly advanced within the organization, eventually becoming scouting coordinator. By age 23, she was coordinating the Rockets’ college scouting operation and gained national attention as the NBA’s only active female scout at the time.
Her next stop was Duke University, where she earned an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business in 2020. While at Duke, she also served as a player personnel consultant for the university’s celebrated men’s basketball program, working under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer and leading its high school scouting efforts.
Andonian then joined the Memphis Grizzlies, spending four seasons with the organization and rising to Director of Player Personnel. Her responsibilities included significant roles in domestic high school and international scouting.
In September 2024, she reunited with Morey when she joined the Philadelphia 76ers as Vice President of Player Personnel, overseeing the organization’s professional scouting operation. One year later, she added another milestone when she was named General Manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s NBA G League affiliate, becoming the first woman to serve as general manager in the franchise’s history.
Now, at 31, Andonian returns to Southern California to take charge of the basketball operations of one of the WNBA’s most recognizable franchises. As General Manager of the Sparks, she will oversee roster construction, player personnel, scouting, and the organization’s long-term basketball strategy.
From a young basketball player in San Diego County to an NBA scout and now a WNBA general manager, Andonian’s journey has taken her through nearly every level of basketball evaluation and player personnel. For the Armenian-American community, her appointment also adds another noteworthy name to the growing list of Armenian-American women making their mark in American professional sports.
