Marika Andrews will soon be bouncing back and forth between two different sports.
The 30-year-old ESPN host will begin leading ESPN’s broadcasts starting with the Australian Open. In preparation for Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, she will spend the year switching from covering the NBA to covering tennis for the Disney-backed sports outlet. Her tennis coverage is scheduled to begin in Melbourne in late January.
Andrews, who hosts NBA Today, NBA Countdown and WNBA Countdown in addition to ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage, signed a new contract with the unit in the fall. She is expected to work towards expanding her portfolio, something other sports figures are doing as well. For example, at NBC Sports, Mike Tirico and Maria Taylor both play key roles in NFL and NBA coverage. At CBS, Jim Nantz is known for his NFL commentary and Masters coverage. For a long time, he also provided the primary voice for CBS coverage of the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
.Andrews made his debut as a sideline reporter for ESPN during the 2019-20 season. In 2021, at age 26, she became the youngest sportscaster to host the NBA Finals trophy ceremony. She made history as the first woman to host the 2022 NBA Draft. She also appears on Disney’s ABC Broadcasting Network’s regular show “Good Morning America.”
Before joining ESPN in October 2018, Andrews worked as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a member of the NABJ Sports Task Force Scholarship Committee. Her sister Kendra Andrews covers the WNBA for ESPN.
