Sports broadcasting is an industry that is still male-dominated and largely white. But over the years, there has been a significant shift as more women and black people get opportunities to front the coverage of some of the biggest sports events in the world.
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This article focuses on the best 10 black female sports reporters in various sports like the NBA, WNBA, NFL, baseball, soccer, and many more.
They include Arielle Chambers, Usher Komugisha, Carol Tshabalala, Taylor Rooks, Mimi Fawaz, Malika Andrews, Cari Champion, Josina Anderson, Maria Taylor, and Jemele Hill.
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1. Arielle Chambers
She began her coverage in the big leagues like NBA, NHL, and WNBA. During this time, Arielle Chambers realized the difference in coverage between men’s and women’s sports and took it upon herself to give women’s sports visibility.
She began interviews with female athletes and owned that niche. Arielle has built a wealth of experience in covering women’s basketball and founded a platform on Bleacher Report on the same.
For her work, she’s received recognition in:
- The Forbes 30 Under 30 list
- Sports Illustrated’s 100 Most Influential Women in Sports, among others. And this is why she’s one of the top black female sports reporters.
2. Usher Komugisha
Usher Komugisha is a Ugandan sports journalist who has covered several major sports events for international broadcasters like Al Jazeera, BBC, and Sky Sports.
She’s a former athlete and has proven her prowess in different disciplines, including basketball and football. Usher is also a commentator and analyst. For her work, Usher won the 2020 Momentum gsport Award: “African Woman in Sport,” which is why she has a spot in the list of black female sports reporters making waves.
3. Carol Tshabalala
Famous as the first lady of sports, Carol Tshabalala works with the pan-African network Supersport. She started in a South African radio station Kaya FM before joining SABC Sports. In 2011, she left SABC for her current role at Supersport.
Tshabalala also works for international broadcasters. She’s one of Premier League Productions’ anchors. She remains the only African sports journalist to have hosted the prestigious Balon d’Or award, cementing her place among the list of black female sports reporters making waves.
4. Taylor Rooks
Rooks works for big-name broadcasters like Bleacher Report, Thursday Night Football, and Turner Sports. She’s previously worked for CBS Sports and has appeared on several other networks like BTN Live, BTN Football Pregame, and Women’s Sports Report.
5. Mimi Fawaz
Mimi Fawaz is a Nigerian-Lebanese sports reporter who works for the BBC. Her coverage primarily focuses on football, but she is widely knowledgeable about different sports. She has interviewed some of the most prominent athletes from Didier Drogba.
Mimi has also been at the frontline in some big sports events like the African Cup of Nations, Wimbledon, and the US Open. She worked for VoxAfrica and appeared on ESPN and CNN.
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6. Malika Andrews
In her own right, she is one of the black female sports reporters making waves. She was the first female host of the NBA draft and the youngest sidelines reporter in an NBA Conference Finals.
Malika hosts ESPN’s NBA Today and has interviewed several high-profile athletes like Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Her career in sports media started as a fellow at the New York Times and later worked at the Chicago Tribune.
7. Cari Champion
Champion has hosted some of the most coveted shows on ESPN. She joined the network in 2011 as a host of First Take, after which she expressed her desire to take over SportsCenter, which she did. In between that, she produced an interview with NFL quarterback Cam Newton.
In 2022, she debuted her own show on Amazon Prime titled the Cari Champion Show. She’s always made significant strides which is why she is one of the black female sports reporters making waves.
8. Josina Anderson
Anderson is an athlete turned sports journalist. She’s done well to master the craft and is one of the black female sports reporters doing fantastic work. She specializes in covering the NFL and the NBA for ESPN. She appears on SportsCenter and Sunday NFL Countdown.
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9. Maria Taylor
She has an impressive resume having NBA, NFL, and college basketball, football, and volleyball. Maria Taylor made her reporting debut on NBC in 2021, covering the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
She’s also covered the men’s and women’s French Open tennis semifinals, among other high-profile events. She became the network’s first full-time female host of Football Night America.
10. Jemele Hill
Behind her name are some of the most glamorous television sports networks and shows. She worked for ESPN and hosted Numbers Never Lie, which later became His &Her. Hill also presented SportsCentre.
Hill also has a byline on ESPN and The Atlantic. She has a co-production company Lodge Freeway Media, and her podcast Jemele Hill is unbothered.
It is now a norm that whenever you switch on your telly to catch up with the latest sports, you will see a female sports reporter. Who is your favourite?
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