Women's basketball

Debut of No. 1 Draft Pick Candace Parker with the Los Angeles Sparks and Theme Song and Music Video by R&B Sensation Alicia Keys

March 13, 2008 -- ESPN2 will combine with ABC to televise 22 regular-season WNBA games, starting with the defending champion, Phoenix Mercury and Diana Taurasi, when they host the Los Angeles Sparks and No. 1 Draft pick Candace Parker from NCAA champion Tennessee Saturday, May 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. For the first time, ABC will use SkyCam for a WNBA telecast -- showcasing the speed and talent of the top female players in the world.    » read more »

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, May 13, 2008 -- A year ago, a new three-point line dominated discussions at the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules Committee meetings. This year, the committee’s meetings produced relatively few changes, which committee leaders view as a positive step for the game overall.

“Our game and our rules are in really great shape,” said Ronda Seagraves, chair of the women’s rules committee and associate athletic director at Southwestern University (Texas). “We entertained approximately 50 rules proposals, and in the end only approved minor changes to the rules book.”    » read more »

March 27, 2008 -- Leading into the “Sweet Sixteen” this weekend, ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament has garnered double-digit increases in both viewership and ratings on ESPN2 and ESPN during the first two rounds (48 games within 13 telecast windows March 22 – 25), according to Nielsen Media Research. With games primarily shown on ESPN2 (12 windows), that network saw a 29 percent household jump over last year (546,000 vs. 423,000), based on a 20% ratings increase (0.6 vs. 0.5), while ESPN’s viewership is up 40 percent among households (482,000 vs. 344,000), based on a ratings increase of 25 percent (0.5 rating, compared to last year’s 0.4).    » read more »

March 25, 2008 -- ESPN today announced that it has acquired HoopGurlz.com – the foremost girls’ basketball site on the Internet. HoopGurlz.com is the only website in the country that is solely dedicated to the coverage of high-school girls’ basketball and women's college-basketball prospects on a national basis. The site provides an independent voice for girls’ basketball and an objective, journalistic approach to the coverage of the sport. Glenn Nelson, award-winning basketball columnist and founder, will continue to manage the content and editorial voice of HoopGurlz. Chris Hansen, the National Director of Scouting for Women’s Basketball at HoopGurlz.com, will continue to write for the site.    » read more »

Wednesday, March 19, 2008, BATON ROUGE, La. -- During the first- and second- rounds of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA, Lowe’s, Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge will team up to build a home in partnership with a hard-working, low-income family that was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Louisiana State University student-athletes, local community and Lowe’s volunteers will construct a Habitat for Humanity house frame on Saturday, March 22 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. The build will take place near the university’s track and field complex.    » read more »

Friday, March 14, 2008, INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA is awarding approximately $750,000 in women’s basketball grants to 12 Division I institutions and five conferences as part of the newly established NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Grant Program.

The grant program is designed to foster the growth of women’s basketball on NCAA member campuses and within NCAA member conferences.    » read more »

- Trey Wingo to Host Selection Show with Dales and Lawson
- ESPNU to Simulcast; ESPNU to Air Women’s Championship Special
- NCAA Tournament Coverage Begins March 22

March 12, 2008 -- ESPN (also available on ESPN HD) will present the exclusive, live announcement of the women’s 64-team field on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special March 17 at 7 p.m. ET. Trey Wingo will host alongside analysts Stacey Dales and Kara Lawson.    » read more »

Program Features Sports Fans Wearing Favorite Teams’ Attire for $5 Donation to Cancer Research March 20 & 21

Big Ten Tournament coverage begins Wednesday night from Indianapolis

March 3, 2008, CHICAGO – Beginning this week, the Big Ten Network brings the drama and excitement of postseason basketball to a national audience. The network will televise at least 41 hours of live coverage from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis during the Big Ten Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments.

"For college basketball fans, it doesn't get any better than this," Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said. "The Big Ten Network is the place to find wall-to-wall postseason basketball coverage."    » read more »

Annual conference awards to be announced live during special programming

February 28, 2007, CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network will present the live, exclusive announcements of the annual Big Ten men's and women's basketball awards during two special programs in March, including segments during THE BIG TEN WOMEN'S SHOW on Monday and a special edition of BIG TEN TONIGHT on Monday, March 10. Dave Revsine will host BIG TEN TONIGHT alongside analysts Gene Keady, Jimmy Jackson and Tim Doyle, with selected award winners joining them during the 30-minute program.    » read more »

Tuesday, February 12, 2008, INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee has selected 17 additional first- and second-round sites for the 2009 and 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and those sites have been approved by the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet.

The sites were added after the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee announced in the summer of 2007 that the championship would be expanding to 16 pre-determined first- and second-round sites beginning in 2009.    » read more »

January 8, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Following today’s announcement on the potential sale of the Seattle Storm to a local ownership group, Washington Governor Gregoire had the following response:

“As Governor and as a Storm fan, I think today’s news that the team will stay in Seattle is simply terrific. The ownership group of accomplished women has made this possible because of their strong commitment to the community. They also know first-hand that being able to compete in the top echelon of sports provides women with opportunities generations who came before us never had.    » read more »

Friday, December 7, 2007, INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA announced today that PrimeSport, a RazorGator company, will serve as the Official Ticket and Hospitality Package Provider for the 2008 NCAA Women’s Final Four.    » read more »

Week-Long Initiative to Include Simultaneous Launch Featuring Jim Valvano ESPYS Speech on Numerous ESPN Platforms, Men's and Women's Jimmy V Basketball Classics and Marathon Chat by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons

Vera Jones, Mary Murphy, Stephanie White to bring Big Ten ties to network telecasts

November 8, 2007, CHICAGO - Former Wisconsin coach Mary Murphy, former Indiana assistant coach Vera Jones and former Purdue All-American Stephanie White will serve as the Big Ten Network's lead women's basketball analysts. The announcement was made today by Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman and Executive Producer Leon Schweir.    » read more »