Last year, a first of its kind collaboration between the Connecticut Sun and Boston Celtics was announced. This August, the Sun will call Boston home, hosting the Los Angeles Sparks at the TD Garden on August 20.
As the WNBA and NBA further their ongoing partnerships, the Celtics vs. Pistons matchup on Monday, March 18, will feature an all-female broadcast crew.
In honor of Women’s Empowerment Month, the game cast will feature several high profile women in basketball, including NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin and Zora Stephenson from NBC Sports. With Stephenson set as the game announcer, Suns guard DiJonai Carrington will join Chin, along with ESPN’s Kayla Burton.
Chin, the beloved Celtics sideline reporter, is back with the Celtics this season. While covering the team is a tough task in itself, she appears in the pregame, halftime, and postgame segments. And of course, she’s a valued part of the View From the Rafters podcast. While this is just a short summary of her accolades, she’s an honorable woman working in sports.
Stephenson, a former baller for Elon University, can be seen on the Notre Dame sidelines during football season, and has excellent coverage of Big Ten women’s basketball.
Burton, a Boston native, is notorious for her NFL coverage and remarkable endeavors on the sidelines.
Boston previously had an all-female crew, dating back to the 2023 home opener against the Heat when ESPN’s Doris Burke, Beth Mowins, and Cassidy Hubbarth led the commentary booth. While women in sports is becoming much more prevalent, we are witnessing exceptional women elevate in the sport, including Monica McNutt and Andraya Carter, just to name a few.
Luke Kornet just said Derrick White killed the Jazz like Ryan Gosling in La la Land @tvabby caught up with White after dropping 24 points, 6 rebounds, a steal and 3 blocks against the Utah Jazz pic.twitter.com/FkPg4DYPXj
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 13, 2024
While former Celtics Eddie House headlines pre and post game broadcast crew, he will be replaced for the night. Amina Smith of NBC Sports Boston will lead the Celtics/Pistons pregame, halftime, and postgame show on Monday.
If you are able to watch the Celtics, along with the Patriots on NBC Boston, Smith has been a staple in both teams’ pregame, halftime, and postgame live shows. Most recently, she was hired ESPN as their newest SportsCenter anchor. An exciting new chapter, Smith is extremely well versed in sports.
Beside Smith will be Connecticut Sun team President and USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee chair, Jennifer Rozzotti. Joining the both of them will be Ashley Battle, Maine Celtics assistant general manager and Celtics scout.
A diehard UConn fan and alum, I remember watching Battle as a member of Geno Auriemma’s team, where she won three championships with Connecticut in 2002, 2003, and 2004. It was during these years, my love for basketball developed deeply, thanks to the Celtics and UConn. With a respectable career with the NBA, she’s also been featured as a broadcaster in the WNBA.
DiJonai Carrington, a third year guard with Connecticut, will headline as a game analyst. Selected by the Sun 20th overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft, she’s coming off a career year, and was part of Connecticut’s Finals run against the Las Vegas Aces in 2022.
A four year player at Stanford under coach Tara VanDerveer, she’s a ferocious on ball defender who moves incredibly swiftly off ball. A strong candidate for Sixth Player of the Year in 2023, Carrington shot a career-high 37.1 percent from deep last season.
With the departure of Jonquel Jones, and Achilles injury to Brionna Jones, she was a key part of the team’s success last year. Alongside the news of guard Tiffany Hayes retirement, Carrington has an excellent shot of earning a starting role for head coach Stephanie White.
The news comes a year after NBC Sports Boston teamed up with the Connecticut Sun, announcing their partnership to air 31 games over the course of the season.
