ESPN writer hired as assistant GM of Houston WNBA team

We have ourselves another ESPN-to-front-office jump.

According to multiple reports, Kevin Pelton is headed to the WNBA’s Houston Comets as assistant GM and vice president of analytics. The franchise is relocating from Connecticut and will begin play in Houston in the 2027-28 season.

Pelton will stick around this year, working alongside the current Connecticut Sun front office as the transition begins. That group is led by GM Morgan Tuck and team president Jen Rizzotti.

Pelton brings a deep analytics background. Before joining ESPN in 2013, he worked as a statistical consultant for the Indiana Pacers and covered the Seattle Storm for nearly a decade.

Most fans probably know him for his trade and free agency grades. Now he’ll be making those calls from inside the building.

It’s another sign of where the league is headed. More data. More crossover. More front offices looking for that edge.