LOS ANGELES — Raegan Pebley said it is only her journey as a former WNBA player, Division I 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…
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