Sparks GM Raegan Pebley wants to build through locker room culture

LOS ANGELES — Raegan Pebley said it is only her journey as a former WNBA player, Division I women’s college basketball coach and WNBA broadcast analyst that has prepared her to be the new general manager of the Sparks.

“When it comes to the basketball piece, I love analytics,” Pebley said. “I understand analytics. I understand how one thing leads into another and that you can’t just look at decisions only through an analytics lens. I can’t bring a critical and supportive eye. I think I can be a connective tissue as well because of my experience as a coach and as a leader and as a former player in this league.”

The Sparks held a virtual introductory press conference with Pebley on Tuesday, who as a first-time GM, shared her philosophy for building a championship roster for an organization that has not made the playoffs since 2020.

“It is not a cliché for us that you have to start with the locker room,” said Pebley, who was born in Fountain Valley and played in the WNBA from 1997-98 with Utah Starzz (who are now the Las Vegas Aces) and the defunct Cleveland Rockers. “You have to start with the character of the team that you have and you have to start with people that also really want to serve the needs of these women, these athletes as people. We’re going to be about chasing the best version of ourselves.”

Pebley’s hiring was announced Jan. 5, just in time as WNBA free agency begins Jan. 21. Contracts can be agreed upon but not signed until Feb. 1.

Meanwhile, the former head coach at Utah State, Fresno State and TCU also kept a close eye on the WNBA as the Dallas Wings’ color analyst from 2016-23.

“I think one of the things is definitely that we should not look at last season in any way as a disappointment or a failure,” Pebley said when asked about last year’s team, which finished with a 17-23 overall record and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season for the first time in the franchise’s 27-year history.

“I think there were, again, a lot of things that were really special about this team,” she said. “I talked about the resiliency. I think their chemistry, from everything I’ve heard and talked to on this team, that was a huge asset of this group.”

Pebley, 48, is also excited to help the Sparks usher in a more potent offense, for a team that ranked 10th in the 12-team league in scoring, and a staunch defense.

“I think also the direction of the game is something that is exciting and we’re looking forward to putting an offense on the floor as well as a defense that teams have to spend a lot of time accounting for,” she said.

Sparks head coach Curt Miller believes Pebley, whom he has known for more than 25 years since they worked together on the coaching staff at Colorado State in the late 1990s, is the right person for the position.

“It was always KB’s (Karen Bryant’s) vision and plan to find the perfect fit in a GM, a stand-alone GM to allow her to continue to serve the entire organization on a lot of other projects (as chief administrative officer),” Miller said, who is preparing for his second season in Los Angeles. “I’ve spoken to many candidates over my 14 months with the Sparks and Raegan was the perfect person at the perfect time.”

“Last year, we set a really great foundation in Year One of our build, as Curt, Reagan and KB at the time talked about, starting with the locker room and great people,” added Eli Horowitz, the Sparks assistant general manager and vice president of scouting and analytics. “I think another tenet was just doing our homework, sound decision-making, analytics, scouting.

“I think we have one of the hardest-working collective groups of people in our front office and so Raegan coming on board is super-additive, just her leadership experience. Her experience building culture with many teams at the collegiate level and then she’s just a super analytics-driven, forward-thinking basketball mind.”

In addition to a crucial free agency period for a team that has only half its roster under contract, the Sparks hold the No. 2 and No. 12 picks in the April 15 WNBA draft.

“It’s an exciting draft and we’re so fired up that we’ve got that No. 2 pick because, as Eli said, it’s going to be really foundational,” Pebley said.

Meanwhile, Pebley said she wants to embrace LA’s championship culture while building a roster that is going to support Coach Miller’s style of play.

“I think it’s really important that it marries to the offense and the defense that Curt’s putting on the floor as well,” Pebley said. “I think the exciting thing about basketball is making sure you’ve got increased high-level versatile talent that are players than can impact both ends of the floor. Length is great, but length doesn’t solve all of your problems either.”

The Sparks will tip off the regular season against the Atlanta Dream at Long Beach State on May 15.

The Los Angeles Sparks have hired Raegan Pebley as General Manager. https://t.co/fsu8q5yGXN pic.twitter.com/Fkhv0V0t0D

— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) January 5, 2024