For the First Time, an ESPN Broacast Has All-Women Production Crew and Hosts

by Moises A. Hernandez, age 17

On Monday, September 11, 2017, Beth Mowins became the first female broadcaster to call a nationally televised National Football League game, handling the play-by-play when the Los Angeles Chargers visited the Denver Broncos. The former college basketball player joined ESPN in 1994 and began calling college football for the network in 2005.

Mowins was part of another milestone on the night of Wednesday, February 9. Mowins led ESPN’s first all-woman National Basketball Association crew. With the Golden State Warriors visiting the Utah Jazz, sports analyst Doris Burke and reporter Lisa Salters worked alongside Mowins and 33 other women who handled all production roles at the game site in Salt Lake City, and at ESPN’s control room in Bristol, Connecticut.

The game, which resulted in a 111-85 Utah victory, broke Golden State’s winning streak of nine games. Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz in scoring and was close to Utah’s first triple-double since 2008 when Carlos Boozer did it in a game against Seattle.

The Warriors’ Stephen Curry—who has the longest streak in the NBA’s history of scoring at least one three-pointer in 175 consecutive games—scored 16 points during the game, while Jordan Poole—who has made 58 out of 59 free throws over the previous 17 games—led the Warriors in scoring with 18 points.

This is not the only time Mowins has accomplished firsts while covering the NBA. On December 3, 2021, she became the first woman at ESPN to call an NBA game when the Philadelphia 76ers visited the Atlanta Hawks.

​​ “I think it’s important to still celebrate some of these big milestones,” Mowins said. “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.”

[Sources: Associated Press ; Chicago Sun-Times; Denver Post; ESPN; Madison.com ]