Have a little sympathy for Candace Parker. As the WNBA great gets ready to offer her take on some of the biggest games in the league’s next season, she may face challenges in figuring out where to look.
WNBA players return to the court after pushing for a more robust collective bargaining agreement with a league that has been notorious for low pay. Two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Temp, have built rosters and are set to join the season. And free agency has been at a new high.
“There’s more movement than we’ve ever seen,” says Parker, noting that the league is about to enter its 30th season, which gives her more tools to explain the game to fans. “It’s so nice to be able to watch the game you love, with the ability to back it up with analysis and tell a story.”
Parker is likely to play a key role as she joins Amazon’s Prime Sports as a regular game analyst, boosting a broader series of efforts by media companies to lure bigger crowds to the WNBA when its new season gets underway next month.
Amazon’s Prime Video will feature Parker and Swin Cash analysts, with Michael Grady doing play by play. And its on-air roster also includes Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon; former WNBA player and current NBA assistant coach Lindsey Harding, Duke University Women’s Basketball head coach Kara Lawson; LaChina Robinson and former WNBA player and coach Ty Young. Lisa Bylington and Mike Watts will also serve as play-by-play voices, while JayDee Dyer, Kayla Grey and Morgan Ragan will work the sidelines. Allie Clifton, NBA on Prime sideline reporter, will serve as the studio host for WNBA on Prime’s pregame, halftime and postgame coverage.
“I think the game and the sport have always been good, but I don’t know if the awareness has been there,” says Almina Hussein, head of on air talent and development at Amazon’s Prime Sports during a recent interview. “I feel that finally, people have jumped. People are paying attention.”
Amazon is one of several media giants putting a bigger spotlight on women’s sports. In a telling sign, ESPN will this summer launch “Women’s Sports Sundays,” featuring WNBA and NWSL matches. The new showcase replaces a veteran program, “Sunday Night Baseball,” this summer. NBC Sports is also backing the WNBA across NBC and Peacock and will be working with some of the same talent who are on hand for Amazon: Michael Grady and LaChina Robinson. Zora Stephenson and Noah Eagle will call games along with Grady, while Maria Taylor will work as lead studio host alongside analysts Sue Bird and Cheryl Miller.
Robinson believes viewers will be captivated by the technology at use in Amazon’s WNBA studio show. “They can actually change the basketball court from WNBA to the Tennessee Lady Vols to honor Candace Parker,” she says. “My jaw was on the floor!” When it comes to building out tech to enhance the viewer experience, she adds, “I think we’re just getting started.”
Even after 30 years.
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