A total of 33 women will work the Jazz-Warriors game Wednesday night, with Beth Mowins, Doris Burke, and Lisa Salters leading the way.
ESPN has announced that its broadcast of the Warriors-Jazz game on Wednesday night will be produced entirely by women. Beth Mowins, Doris Burke, and Lisa Salters will be on-air, but it goes beyond the three of them. In addition to the on-camera talent, the on-site production team will also be entirely female. In total, 33 women will be responsible for bringing the game from Salt Lake City to your living room.
Coordinating producer Sara Gaiero offered her thoughts on the event in a release:
“To work alongside these women and see the depth of talent we have in a variety of roles on this NBA property is incredibly rewarding. Each of these women make regular, valuable contributions to our NBA productions. I am so excited to watch them do what they do best — document an NBA game at the highest level.”
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When you tune in, you’ll hear some familiar voices, as ESPN is deploying its all-woman A-Team for the game. Here’s who has the honor:
The Broadcast Superteam
Beth Mowins, play-by-play: Mowins, like her broadcast teammates, is a pillar in broadcasting. She has been with ESPN since 1994 and recently became the first woman to do play-by-play for a nationally televised NBA game. Though she grew up playing basketball and is the daughter of a coach, she has been on the call for many different sports. From FIFA to Monday Night Football (the first woman to call that broadcast) as well as the NFL on CBS, she is known throughout the industry for her versatility.
“I think it’s important to still celebrate some of these big milestones,” Mowins said about the monumental broadcast. “But I really do believe we’re getting closer to the day where it won’t be such a big deal and it will be very natural and very comfortable.”
Doris Burke, color commentary: Other than Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, Doris Burke is the most recognizable voice on an ESPN NBA broadcast. She is the first woman to call an NBA Finals game and received the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2018. Burke is a former standout guard at Providence and has worked at ESPN since 1991, calling both college and pro games.
Lisa Salters, sideline reporter: Salters has been with ESPN and ABC since 2000 and is the longest-tenured Monday Night Football sideline reporter, having worked over 150 assignments. She has a four-part series on ESPN’s YouTube channel highlighting her decade on the premier football broadcast, the art of storytelling in reporting, and being a role model at the intersection of journalism, women, and Black experience.
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