International Women’s Day 2024: ESPN To Spotlight All-Women REMI Production During Timberwolves–Cavaliers Broadcast

A total of 175 women will provide their skills in both production and operations

When the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tonight, the ESPN broadcast of the NBA regular-season contest will have an all-women crew in front of and behind the camera. Marking International Women’s Day, it will be the network’s fifth time deploying an all-women crew in the 2023-24 season, but for the third consecutive year, the game will be produced via a REMI production from Bristol, CT.

“We worked with the NBA’s production team — as well as with our partners in operations, directing, and creative services — to coordinate and schedule all positions in Bristol and onsite,” says Tara Shea, remote operations supervisor, ESPN, a 14-year veteran with the broadcaster. “What’s exciting about this game is that every woman regularly works on REMI events and the NBA, so it’s an opportunity to spotlight the talented women we have working behind the scenes on our live events.”

Inside the Ops: Bristol To Power Game Production; Los Angeles To Handle Studio Shows

Deanna Benjamin (left) and Tara Shea will serve as supervisors for ESPN’s REMI production from Bristol tonight.

From production and operations to transmissions and graphics, a total of 175 women will contribute to the coverage. The live game production will be handled by PCR (Production Control Room) D70 and Media T inside Bristol’s Digital Center 1. The crew will include a technical director, A1, comms operator, four replay operators, and a Viz Libero telestration operator.

On the talent side, the main game broadcast will feature play-by-play commentator Beth Mowins, analyst Monica McNutt, and reporter Katie George. In ESPN’s Los Angeles Production Center, two shows — NBA Today at 3-4 p.m. ET and NBA Countdown at 7-7:30 p.m. — will deploy an all-women crew. Both shows will be hosted by Malika Andrews and will feature analysts Chiney Ogwumike and Becky Hammon and senior writer Ramona Shelburne.

Fueling More Interest: A Push To Make All-Women Teams a Normal Occurrence

Occasions like National Girls and Women in Sports Day in February and International Women’s Day in March serve as opportunities to raise awareness about women’s roles in the industry, but the goal is to shift the community’s thinking and make all-women crews a normal sight in control rooms.

“We can expect more female-led shows in the future because we finally have the personnel and interests in the industry to fill certain roles,” says Deanna Benjamin, remote operations supervisor, ESPN, who will join Shea as the lead REMI supervisors for tonight’s game. “It’s a new generation coming out of college in an industry that has always been male-dominated. With a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion, the industry is actively seeking out and developing projects or opportunities that include women.”

Alisha Fonseca, who has been with ESPN for five years, will be lead replay operator.

At a grassroots level, interest can be increased by opening these doors to women at a younger age. The initiative is cyclical: a broadcast highlights an all-women crew, women of all ages watch the game, and they will ultimately create a future all-women crew. When they get to college and choose a major or future career path, they will hopefully be influenced to go down the road to a behind-the-scenes position.

“I love seeing women in college learning replay,” says Alisha Fonseca, senior media replay operator, ESPN. “I want to get to a place where it’s normal to see women in these roles in the control room.”

Without knowledge of the chances for employment behind the camera, it’s not clear how critical such positions are to any given production. But it is hoped that young women, with four years of time and experience with the equipment and working in a control room, will enter the professional ranks respected and accepted.

“I hope that they are welcomed into this industry with an open mindset and that they give themselves the time to learn and make connections,” says Kayla Foster, audio comms specialist, ESPN. “As always, there’s something to be mindful of when you are the only person that looks like you in the room, so stand tall.”

Momentous Day at Work: The Impact of the Effort on the Crew

Attracting the next generation of highly trained women into the workforce is a main priority, but, for those already in the industry, it’s important to bring their skills to the forefront. Some in the industry believe that women should produce only women-centric sports, such as the WNBA, the NWSL, and the women’s side of collegiate sports. But, to truly make progress, it’s imperative that experienced women produce men-centric sports as well.

After shadowing the main A1 in ESPN’s second all-women broadcast in 2023, Kayla Foster will serve as audio operator this year.

“Whether it’s men’s or women’s, basketball is basketball,” says Fonseca. “It’s important to show that women pay the same attention to detail and have the same passion and knowledge for the game.”

With equal opportunities to work on every sport, many professionals are driven to learn new skills. Because of the work that ESPN has done to promote equality over the past three seasons, Foster felt compelled to join the broadcast in any way she could. An ESPN employee for two years and a regular audio operator for NBA on ESPN games on Fridays, she has been training to become a full-fledged A1 since November.

“It was important to me to learn the audio console for our NBA all-women’s broadcast,” she notes. “There wasn’t a woman A1 during our first year, but, during the second year, I had the opportunity to sit behind the only woman A1 from our team in Charlotte, NC: Kate Almon. This year, I’m so happy to be able to work on the board with [REMI Audio Comms Specialist] Kira Mahoney running comms behind me.”

On a personal level, tonight’s game will have a profound impact on the entire crew, but, moving forward, it’s another step in the direction of women’s earning a much-deserved seat at the table.

ESPN’s Alisha Fonseca: “I want to get to a place where it’s normal to see women in these roles in the control room.”

“I’m proud to be able to showcase the women on our team who contribute at a very high level daily,” says Shea. “We have such a broad reach on our ESPN platforms, and my hope is that we can continue to normalize women working on sport broadcasts and be examples of success for future women in broadcast.”

In addition to the names listed above, the following women will play a pivotal role on tonight’s broadcast: Producer Malinda Adams; Reporter Kendra Andrews; Senior Media Replay Operator Megan Baldwin; Makeup Artist Hajja Barnes; Graphics Operator Kristin Beauchamp; Operations Coordinator Emily Barkett; Supervising Editor Amanda Benson; Technical Operations Manager Marissa Bonertz; Talent Coordinator Dee Bosa; Hair and Makep Department Head Anya Brewster; Editing Manager Melissa Bridges; Manager, Animation, Graphics Innovation and Production Design, Isabel Bristol; Senior Production Manager Jodi Brits; Senior Director, Communications, Amanda Brooks; Technical Director II Megan Brophy; Operations Producer Kristianna Bryant; NBA Countdown Production Coordinator Elizabeth Bucheit; Real-time Graphics Developer Sarah Buckingham; Analyst Doris Burke; Coordinating Director Laura Burke; Graphics Producer Shavonne Burke; Content Associate Kayla Burge; Resource Coordinator Cindy Campos; Editor Marie Canieso; Crewing Coordinator Stephanie Cannon; Media Operator Amanda Cascone; Operations Producer CJ Chalverus; Creative Studio Supervisor Sandra Chen; NBA Countdown Producer Dominique Collins; Cosmetologist Heather Collins; Features Producer Lauren Collins; Remote Production Operations Coordinator Kim Conrad; Makeup Artist Abreanna Corrales; Media Operator Kimberly Cozzolino; Dallas Cross; Jeraine Cruz; Operations Producer Sue Curwood; Network Origination Operator Kate Damp; Media Operator/A2 Cierra Davenport; Programming Coordinator Gabby Davis; Executive Assistant, Event Production, Zita Davis; Senior Coverage Producer P.J. DeCordova-Boyd; Sydney Deegan; Digital Media Operator Adrianna DeLucia; Managing Producer Jodi Denk; Origination Operator Erica Diamond; VP, Production, Bowen Dou; Lead Game Technical Director Mary Payne Dillard; Lead Network Origination Operator Christina Draper; Manager Laura Dutil; Media Operator Allison Ellis; Remote Operations Producer Traci Flohr; Senior Operations Coordinator, Remote Studio Shows, Gianfranca Focareta; NBA Today Associate Director II Vannessa Ford; Production Operations Supervisor Lacey Gandee; Media Operator Aimee Ginez; Lead Media Operator Ra’Chara Glatz; NBA Countdown Technical Director Heather Gleason; Manager, Programming and Acquisitions, Johanna Goldblatt; Reporter Angel Gray; Senior Managing Producer Shari Greenberg; Hairstylist Sophie Gutterman; NBA Today Coordinating Producer Hilary Guy; Associate Producer II Kayla Hanisch; Field Operations Producer Lisa Jo Harrington; NBA Countdown Studio Operator II Katrina Hernandez; Motion Graphics Controller Megan High; NBA Countdown Media Replay Operator Janeese Hoagland; Reporter Cassidy Hubbarth; Graphics Producer Stacy Hunt; Network Origination II Razan Isaac; NBA Countdown Associate Producer Aliyyah Jackson; Production Assistant Jamille Johnson; Graphics Producer Tiff Kalil; Production Operations Coordinator Fanique Kelley; Replay Operator Sharon Kilcullen; Associate Director Jill Krebs; Senior Network Origination Operator Rebecca Kristof; Sue Lapinski; Hairstylist Sarah Latchford; Senior Manager, Remote Operations Crewing, Eileen Lauer; Replay Operator Jacqueline Lawson; Senior Media Operator Crystal Lo; Production Operations Coordinator Yun Lo; Post Producer Jessica Maddox; Crewing Supervisor Candice Manning; VP, Creative Content Production, Julie McGlone; Allison McGovern; Network Origination Operator Jen McMahon; Technical Services Supervisor Kathleen McNamara; Lead Game Director Josslyn Meyer; Senior Talent Producer Rachel Minton; Network Origination Operator II Sarah Mohr; Operations Producer Hauna Moore; Director Lauren Moreton; Associate Producer Olivia Mulvihill; Senior Operations Producer Kelley Nagi; Hairstylist Velvet Nelms; Makeup Artist Livia Nelson; Associate Producer Lauren Nieves; Senior Director, Programming and Acquisitions Ashley O’Connor; Associate Director Colleen O’Sullivan; Audio Comms Specialist II Rebecca Padilla; Makeup Artist Giovana Paramo Lieb; Content Editor Brittany Patterson; Video Editor Rachel Pearson; Manager, Sports Brand Solutions, Kaitlyn Penrod; NBA Today Director Kathy Perez; Shawnie Perry; Camera Operator Carol Peterson; Production Coordinator Emmie Polinchock; Production Assistant Victoria Powell; Senior Director, Talent Content, Stacey Pressman; Lead Game Producer Laurie Privitera; Senior Manager Kathy Rajcula; Content Associate Toni Reveles; Production Operations Crewing Coordinator Kamille Rascon; Resource Planner Theresa Roberts; REMI Productions Manager Claudette Robinson; Associate Manager, Ad Integration and Strategy, Sidney Robinson; Crewing Coordinator Sam Robuccio; Graphics Operator Vanessa Rodriguez; Camera Operator Elaine Rom; Replay Operator Maddie Rose; Producer/Editor Natasha Rose; Reporter Lisa Salters; Talent Stats Alexandra Santiago; Resource Coordinator Gabriella Scibettal; Associate Producer Nickol Scott; Graphics Assist Juliana Sherry; Bureau Producer Jessica Shobar; Media Operator Brooke Simon; Replay Operator Meredith Sills; Master Control Operator Allison Silver; Creative Editorial Manager Lacy Slone; Video Editor Courtney Snyder; Senior Managing Producer, Creative Content, Aimee Stokes; Network Origination Operator Mikaela Tague; Sports Marketing and Sponsorships Coordinator Shy Taylor; Senior Manager Tami Telford; Digital Replay Operator Kimberlee Tessean; Animator and Show Designer Maria Tombazz; Makeup Artist Gaby Torell; Post Production Editor Natacha Trisri; Senior Resource Coordinator Jessica Tucciarone; Media Operator II Liz Turney; Motion Graphics Controller II Kathleen Vega Velazquez; Graphics Interface Coordinator Tracey Vigorito; Associate Art Director Erica Vittal; Production Coordinator Michelle Walton; REMI Support Jenni Warren; Senior Operations Producer Judi Weiss; Network Origination Operator Katlyn Westhoven; Senior Comms, Audio, and RF Coordinator Katherine White; Analyst Stephanie White; Graphics Operator MacKenzie Winters; Motion Graphics Controller Megan Wilbanks; Media Operator Bridget Williamson; Coordinating Master-Control Operator Devon Williams; Camera Operator Beverly Wilson; Alina Wong; A2 Amanda Wong; and Kay Yip.