Who is on ESPN’s WNBA All-Star Friday coverage and how to watch in the UK and US
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ALL STAR FRIDAY in the WNBA Regular Season window is part of the league’s 2026 All-Star Weekend in Chicago, with the Skills Challenge and Three-Point Contest scheduled for Friday, 24 July 2026 at Wintrust Arena before the All-Star Game itself on Saturday at the United Center.[3][4]
For viewers in the US, the programme is being shown on ESPN and ESPN Unlimited, giving fans a straight route into one of the biggest mid-season showcases on the women’s basketball calendar.[3] In the UK, no British broadcaster has been listed in the provided schedule information, so the key takeaway is that this is a US-led broadcast available through ESPN’s platforms rather than Sky or another UK television partner.[3][4]
The main presentation team is led by Malika Andrews, one of ESPN’s best-known studio hosts and the face of much of the network’s recent basketball coverage.[3] Andrews has become a prominent presence across NBA and WNBA programming, and her role here fits ESPN’s habit of placing top-tier hosts on marquee events.[3]
On commentary, Ryan Ruocco is the lead play-by-play voice, with Rebecca Lobo alongside him as co-commentator.[3] Ruocco is widely associated with ESPN’s basketball coverage, while Lobo brings both television experience and deep WNBA credibility as a former league star and longtime analyst.[3]
The studio and analysis team is especially strong. Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike and Monica McNutt are listed as pundits, giving ESPN a panel with a mix of recent playing insight, high-level analysis and strong on-air chemistry.[3] Ogwumike is one of the most recognisable names in modern women’s basketball media, while Carter and McNutt have both built reputations for energetic, informed basketball analysis across ESPN’s expanding women’s sports coverage.[3]
Holly Rowe is the reporter, adding one of ESPN’s most experienced and respected sideline voices to the broadcast.[3] Rowe has long been a major figure in college and professional women’s basketball coverage, and her inclusion is a sign that ESPN is treating All-Star Friday as a premium event rather than a routine regular-season stop.[3]
From a scheduling perspective, the wider 2026 WNBA season runs in a compact 44-game format, with the All-Star break sitting in late July and the full regular season running through September.[1][4][7] The league’s official season schedule and related reporting also confirm that Chicago is the host city for All-Star Weekend, underlining why ESPN has placed a high-profile team on this broadcast.[1][3][4]
For readers following the competition beyond this one event, the season’s broader national TV picture is spread across several US partners, including ESPN, ABC, CBS, ION, NBC, Peacock, Prime Video and USA Network.[3][4] That makes ESPN’s All-Star Friday coverage part of a much wider 2026 media landscape in which the WNBA continues to secure more prominent national exposure.[3][4]
More information on the league and its 2026 season can be found at the WNBA.
Article generated: 24 July 2026, 19:35 GMT