If you were to take a search on social media about the excitement around the current state of women’s college basketball, you won’t just find fans talking about the athletes on the court. You’ll also find people talking about Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike. In a time when the attention to women’s college basketball is at an all-time high, shattering televisions ratings (more than 12 million people tuned in to Iowa vs. LSU in the Elite Eight), stars becoming household names and Caitlin Clark starring in commercials — ESPN’s studio show led by these three women has kept up with the hype.
Some on social media have called them the new “Big Three.” Some have posted photos of Lebron James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in reference to the trio. Some have even joked they are going to tell their children this was the real Destiny’s Child.
“I was definitely surprised,” said Carter on Thursday in Cleveland about the praise of the show. “For us, the whole focus is on the game, we are planning this show and everything we are putting into it is for the players and the game. We are not thinking about it like that and we plan the show to our strengths and things we are most passionate about which translates best on screen. Because we are all actually friends, those little moments of personality come and we are all comfortable being ourselves.”
Duncan joked that she almost thinks all the love on social media might be a trap with everyone being so nice on a platform that can often be brutal and toxic.
“For us, the true joy comes with getting to talk about women’s basketball, getting to amplify their stories, they love the game, I love the game — all of this is coming together in a perfect storm,” Duncan said.
Richard Deitsch, a media reporter from The Athletic, said on Twitter that Carter and Ogwumike are “smart, analytical and can relate to a young audience.”
“I think it just happens that way,” Carter said when asked about younger viewers. “We are just naturally ourselves. We bring in people [who haven’t watched the game a long time] with some cultural references. Our fans who are older love the game and they are going to be there and if a joke goes over their head they are not going to care either way but I think you can lose the attention of young people so quickly and you gotta keep them engaged but I don’t think we try intentionally for a younger audience, I think just who we are it works out that way.”
Whether it’s Duncan showing off her sweatpants under the desk and telling the audience about her teenage rebellion or Ogwumike tying in current news — mentioning the release of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album — the show has brought a new type of energy and entertainment to ESPN. That authenticity is something that Duncan prides herself in.
“I first started at 20 years old, I have been doing this for 21 years and I remember working in Atlanta and trying to chameleon myself to whatever the situation was,” Duncan said on Thursday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. “It got to a point where I said ‘you know what, if I try to be someone else and none of this works out for me did I really accomplish my goal?’ I always would have wondered what would have happened if you had just been yourself. I decided many years ago, hate it or love it, I am going to be me. I want to be the best version of me.
Not only has the trio come off as genuine, but viewers have even noticed how in-sync analysts Carter and Ogwumike are — often having the same hand motions and reactions to big game moments. Carter laughed at how funny it is, but was adamant that it was not planned. She spoke about how her and Ogwumike are always discussing the game in preparation for the halftime show. She said they sometimes see different things and can disagree and gives a lot of credit to the crew as they are always asking for different clips and moments to cut.
We can’t deny that women in sports and in sports media have seen more exposure and opportunity than ever before. With NIL deals, sponsorships and social media following, the female athlete now has a brand as well. Carter talked about how the women’s basketball players really built off momentum from last season. She spoke about how many of the stars got even better compared to last year which helped the attention grow.
“For women’s basketball lovers we feel like it is overdue,” Carter said. “Imagine this type of hype around Candace Parker or Maya Moore. And maybe there was, but without social media … if you didn’t catch the game you are still going to hear about it. You can’t miss what is going on right now and I think it is special and these players deserve it. It’s just a testament to the analysts and players who came before us.”
Duncan spoke about how an event like this is meaningful to her because of the representation of women.
“This is such an amazing time to see your girls, catch up with other women in the media. We need to pour into each. It can be tough sometimes being a woman in the media and the spaces never look like this,” Duncan said while looking around the room. “You go to the Super Bowl and it’s not this.”
The show will continue in Cleveland over the next few days covering the semifinals on Friday night and the championship on Sunday. South Carolina alum and current WNBA player with the Indiana Fever Aliyah Boston, who was the 2023 No. 1 pick in the draft, will be joining the crew. Carter promises there will probably be some more antics and Duncan said the squad will also be joining Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s show on Saturday as well.
