Alexa PhilippouMar 30, 2026, 02:30 PM ET
CloseCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA
Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
Multiple Authors
Former ESPN NBA reporter Kevin Pelton has been hired for a front office role with the WNBA’s Houston Comets, sources told ESPN.
Pelton is the assistant GM and vice president of analytics for the franchise.
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is buying the Connecticut Sun, the franchise announced Monday, and the team will be relocated to Houston for the 2027 season and become the Comets again. The sale is still pending approval from the WNBA board of governors.
Ahead of the Sun’s final year in Uncasville in 2026, Pelton will work with the existing Connecticut front office (including general manager Morgan Tuck and team president Jen Rizzotti) as an additional resource provided by the Rockets.
The move comes as the team prepares for upcoming offseason activity: a two-team expansion draft and free agency for 100-plus players will be held in April before the season tips May 8.
Pelton, the Comets’ first hire, joined ESPN in 2013, bringing his industry-leading expertise in basketball analytics to ESPN’s NBA and WNBA coverage.
Prior to joining the company, Pelton consulted with the Indiana Pacers from 2010 to 2012. He also covered the Seattle Storm (2002-12) and the Seattle SuperSonics (2002-08) for the teams’ websites.