As the Unrivaled three-on-three women’s basketball gets set to make its debut, TNT Sports is revealing its coverage plans.
As first reported by The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, TNT Sports will feature a studio show headlined by Candace Parker to accompany its league broadcasts. Lauren Jbara will host the studio show, which will also feature former WNBA All-Star Renee Montgomery and appearances from WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, who will also serve as a game analyst.
Meanwhile, Taylor Rooks, Allie LaForce, Stephanie Ready and Ros Gold-Onwude will serve as game reporters for the league, which is set to make its debut on Jan. 17. Games throughout the season will air on Warner Bros. Discovery properties TNT and truTV, with all games also streaming on Max.
“I think you need people who are authentic in the space, that are true advocates and believers in the sport,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell told The Hollywood Reporter of Parker. “Having her first and foremost is really impactful for the space. She’s someone that goes outside of even women’s basketball in terms of her star power and her voice. She’s well respected, has an incredible basketball mind.”
Added TNT Sports executive VP and chief content officer Craig Barry: “If we couldn’t have assembled a team that felt like it was worthy of the caliber of player that was playing, then I don’t think it would have been worth doing.”
While Unrivaled is operating independently from the WNBA, its ties to the league are obvious between both the players participating in it and it being co-founded by All-Stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. While there was some natural skepticism regarding the league’s potential early on, its exclusive media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery has bolstered its outlook and it makes sense that TNT Sports would turn to familiar faces like Parker to lead its coverage.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.