ESPN announced Monday that it had hired reporter Alexa Philippou as a full-time women’s basketball writer to cover college basketball and the WNBA. Philippou joined the company from the Hartford Courant where she covered the UConn Huskies and Connecticut Sun since 2019.
She also announced the move on her Twitterfeed.
I had the time of my life covering UConn WBB & the Connecticut Sun for 2.5 years. Truly. And I couldn’t have asked for a better group of journalists to work alongside with at The Courant
Thank you to all those — readers, colleagues, teams, etc. — who made that possible
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) February 21, 2022
“It’s a dream come true to join the team at ESPN,” said Philippou in a press release. “With the popularity of the WNBA and women’s college basketball exploding in recent years, I can’t wait to bring fans, both new and old, essential news and compelling stories on their favorite teams and athletes. Getting to work alongside a group of journalists I’ve long admired excites me most about this opportunity, and I look forward to seeing how we can continue to elevate and diversify our coverage.”
The 2018 Stanford graduate also previously wrote for the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times, and Cincinnati Enquirer.
“We are delighted to welcome Alexa to our team,” said Tony Moss, ESPN deputy editor, in a press release. “Her versatility in handling news, features, game coverage, and larger projects on a demanding beat encompassing both women’s college basketball and the WNBA really impressed us. Alexa’s addition to our talented group is great news for ESPN readers, especially with the NCAA Tournament just weeks away.”
The hiring was met with plenty of high praise from Philippou’s colleagues as well.
https://twitter.com/charlottecrrll/status/1495778467694231570
I'm excited for everyone to learn what we already know: that @alexaphilippou is an absolute superstar. As much as we'll miss her at the Courant, truly no one deserves this more! https://t.co/rVGHbkZ6gn
— Alex Putterman (@AlexPutterman) February 21, 2022
Nobody works harder or cares more than Alexa and I couldn’t be more excited for her to get her dream job https://t.co/l0oUoyHrEK
— Daniel Connolly (@DanielVConnolly) February 21, 2022
This is awesome. Seriously, so awesome. https://t.co/blSfGBz4P4
— Mitchell Gladstone (@mpgladstone) February 21, 2022
[ESPN]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.