Some things are bigger than basketball.
In the middle of the 2025 NBA Finals, ESPN’s Lisa Salters stepped away from the sidelines for Game 2 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Jorge Sedano filled in for her, while Vanessa Richardson took over Sedano’s usual ESPN Radio spot. ESPN hasn’t shared many details about Salters’ absence but did send its best wishes in a statement to Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel.
Additionally, Salters’ longtime partner, Stephanie White, has taken a step back from her head coaching responsibilities with the Indiana Fever for what appears to be the foreseeable future.
During the ABC broadcast of Game 2, Mike Breen took a rare moment to explain why Salters wasn’t there while also giving a heartfelt shoutout to Sedano for stepping up.
“We’re thinking of our dear friend and colleague, Lisa Salters,” said the longtime ESPN play-by-play voice. “Lisa’s mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now. So, we want to send our love to Lisa and her mom. Although we’ve never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.”
Mike Breen: “[Lisa Salters’] mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now… Although we’ve never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.” 🎙️❤️ pic.twitter.com/7YJHlKfiwh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2025
“A teammate that shows up the same every single day is a valuable asset,” Doris Burke added. “Lisa, we miss you. We love you. We’re thinking of you.”
“We’re thinking of you, Salty,” said Richard Jefferson.
Sometimes, we fail to realize the reality that even the biggest sporting events don’t pause life’s more serious moments. Sideline reporters often become the connective tissue between the game and its human stories, but they’re people first.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.