Get ready! The Dallas Mavericks take on the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at 6:30 PM ET on ESPN. This will mark the first time in Mavericks history that a broadcast comprised entirely of women will air on Mavs TV. Kylen Mills will be the play-by-play announcer, Raegan Pebley will be the primary color commentator and Dana Larson will be the secondary analyst.
Lesley McCaslin and Nancy Lieberman will be on the court for pregame, halftime, and postgame analysis. The matchup will also be broadcast OTA on KFAA. Mills serves as a play-by-play announcer, host, and reporter for the Big Ten Network. Pebley, currently the L.A. Sparks’ General Manager, brings prior experience as a color analyst for Dallas Wings television broadcasts.
Larson and McCaslin provide regular coverage for Mavericks broadcasts, with Larson in the studio host role and McCaslin as the sideline reporter (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/6).
ESPN continues its four-year tradition of celebrating International Women’s Day with tonight’s broadcast. Angel Gray, Doris Burke, and Cassidy Hubbarth will provide commentary for the game. This marks Gray’s first International Women’s Day NBA broadcast, following her sideline reporting for Wednesday’s Heat-Cavaliers and Sunday’s Cavaliers-Bucks games.
ESPN Makes History With All-Female Production Control Room
The REMi production of the Grizzlies-Mavericks game will be run by a predominantly female remote operations team and supported by a 100% female production control room.
“In one sense, this is business as usual,” says Christine Rouskas, ESPN Remote Production Operations Producer. “Everyday hundreds of talented women and men in operations ensure that our studio and remote broadcasts run smoothly and efficiently. However, it is an honor for me and, I’m sure, all of the other hard-working women across many departments to be recognized for our contributions to the company and the broadcast.”
ESPN has prioritized recognizing and showcasing women’s talents, and tonight’s broadcast is a prime example of that commitment. While not all roles will be operated by women for the Grizzlies-Mavericks broadcast, Rouskas says planning ahead and communication enabled most positions to be filled by exceptionally talented women.
“ESPN has always lived up to its mission statement, ‘To serve sports fans. Anytime. Anywhere,’” she says. “We are all empowered through the work that we do every day and the product that we provide for the fans of the game. All of the women working on this broadcast are extremely talented and deserving of this recognition. Our efforts are rewarded with a job well done.”
Producer Laurie Privitera and director Ashley Wardwill be at the front bench for tonight’s production along with Associate Director Colleen O’Sullivan and Associate Producer Stacy Hunt in the Bristol control room. Play-by-play announcer Angel Gray and analyst Doris Burke will call the action from Dallas, while reporter Cassidy Hubbarth will be courtside.
In addition to Rouskas, other key women on the Bristol crew include operations specialist Cindy Pennington; technical director MP (Mary Payne) Dillard; graphics interface coordinator Tracey Hill; audio technicians Susan Walthall Amanda Wong (comms); video technicians Alina Wong and Embrey Flener; camera operators Luisa Mendoza, Deanna Zieske, and Beverly Wilson; and EVS replay operator Alisha Fonseca. In Dallas, are booth coordinator Jennifer Paris; talent stats manager Alexandra Santiago; makeup artist Lorann Schindler; and runners Yesenia Osorio and Adrian Walker White.
“I truly appreciate this opportunity to have a role in this groundbreaking production,” says Rouskas. “I have been with ESPN for 30 years and I am proud of my accomplishments. I stand on the shoulders of the many women who came before me, those who helped to break barriers, and I am also gratified to know that there will be other women to follow who may be inspired by my path.”
“We celebrate women in broadcast on this one day, but when I look around the room, I see women producers, directors, ops producers, specialists and technicians leading the way, every day,” says Rouskas.
“This broadcast celebrates the incredible women I have the privilege of working with behind the scenes to bring the NBA to ESPN,” adds Dillard. “What’s truly special is that these women don’t just contribute today—they are part of the driving force behind these broadcasts every week. They are among the best in the industry, and seeing them recognized on this stage fills me with immense pride. I also hope their success inspires more women to make their mark in the world of sports broadcasting. Diversity in this field is not just important—it’s essential for the success and growth of our broadcasts. I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of bringing these games to fans.”
Are women in sports becoming popular?
ESPN has done a great job at allowing women to use their platform and showcase some of the great skills that they have. This isn’t the only women-led event that has happened this month. On March 2, the women’s basketball edition of College GameDay headed to Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, IN to cover No. 25 Louisville taking on No.3 Notre Dame.
The women’s College GameDay team, including production, operations, vendors, technicians, and more, made their way to South Bend to wrap up the regular season before heading to the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C.
“These are the touchstone moments I am especially proud of the progress we have made,” says Sr. Operations Producer, Kristianna Bryant.
“The synergy between our remote studio team members and members of the event game coverage team was phenomenal, making for a flawless broadcast,” says Bryant. “We were thrilled with the performance of the entire group, specifically wanted to point out key females from various departments in recognition of Women’s History Month.”
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