​The Los Angeles Sparks announced Sunday that they have parted ways with general manager Raegan Pebley. Pebley, who had held the post since January 2024 after more than two decades coaching women’s college basketball, led a team that finished with a 39-66 record under her tenure.
Assisting to fill Pebley’s role will be Zack Knowlton and Nate Nielsen, the Sparks’ assistant general managers. Both were brought aboard during the 2026 offseason after extended careers in NBA front offices.
“We are grateful to Raegan for her leadership and commitment to the Los Angeles Sparks and women’s basketball,” Sparks’ managing partner and governor Eric Holoman said in a team-issued statement. “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.”
Pebley’s time in Los Angeles was defined by an effort to restore a storied culture of success after three straight playoff absences. The Sparks remain without a postseason berth since 2020 and have only one lottery pick on their roster from that stretch: Cameron Brink.
In a blockbuster trade that shaped their roster, the Sparks acquired two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum in a three-team deal that sent the No. 2 overall pick in the previous year’s draft to Seattle. That pick became Dominique Malonga, who is averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Storm in her second season. Malonga is set to make her All-Star debut later this month after a coaches’ vote.
Pebley’s tenure was characterized by a push for aggressive, win-now moves. In 2024, Los Angeles traded the No. 8 pick in a draft that would prove historic to Chicago for the rights to Julie Allemand and Li Yueru. The Sparks went 8-32 that season; Allemand was left unprotected in the 2026 expansion draft, and Yueru was a supplementary piece in the Plum trade.
This offseason, Pebley continued to pursue immediate improvements by trading Rickea Jackson, the fourth pick in the 2024 draft, to the Chicago Sky for WNBA champion Ariel Atkins. Atkins, a two-time All-Star, is averaging 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 19 appearances for the Sparks this season.
Pebley also oversaw the hiring of Lynne Roberts as head coach after Curt Miller was fired in September 2024. Roberts, who previously worked with Pebley on the Colorado State coaching staff from 1999 to 2001, has compiled a 31-34 record as Sparks head coach.
“Raegan’s a friend of mine, and I care about her,” Roberts said. “And this is the hard part in sports, right? But right now, I’m just focused on the team.”
Despite these moves, the most pointed criticism of Pebley centers on the team’s standing despite the aggressive strategy. entering this season, the Sparks were expected to contend after free-agent acquisitions, including Nneka Ogwumike, a former champion and MVP.
The Sparks currently sit ninth in the league standings, and the franchise will look to rebuild momentum with Knowlton and Nielsen steering the front office as they pursue a return to postseason contention.