ESPN talent says network rejected several pitches for women’s sports show

September 1, 2025

ESPN has been airing women’s sports for decades now.

The company has been carrying the WNBA since its inception and airs many of the NCAA women’s sports through its different networks, including ESPN2, ESPN3, and ESPNU.

However, considering the mass interest that women’s basketball has gained just this year, ESPN has received criticism for its lack of coverage of women’s sports, particularly on its ancillary daytime shows. As recently as last month, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt called out Stephen A. Smith on “First Take” for the lack of coverage it had given the WNBA over the previous few years.

And McNutt isn’t the only ESPN talent calling out the network for how it’s treated women’s sports for the last few years. TS