ALL STAR FRIDAY: Malika Andrews to front ESPN’s WNBA coverage as Chicago hosts All-Star weekend

Match date: 25 July 2026

ALL STAR FRIDAY brings together one of the strongest broadcast line-ups in women’s basketball, with Malika Andrews presenting alongside Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, Monica McNutt and reporter Holly Rowe. The programme is set for ESPN in the United States, with live access also available through the ESPN App and ESPN Unlimited, while Canadian viewers can follow the coverage on TSN Canada 4 HD and TSN Canada 5 HD. The event sits within the WNBA Regular Season calendar and is part of the league’s All-Star weekend in Chicago.[3][4][2]

The timing is straightforward for viewers on both sides of the Atlantic: the programme is listed for 25 July 2026 at 01:00 UK time, which places it amid the league’s All-Star celebrations rather than a standard regular-season night. The broader WNBA schedule confirms that Chicago is hosting the league’s headline mid-season showcase, with the All-Star Game at the United Center on Saturday, 25 July, and the Skills Challenge and Three-Point Contest staged the previous evening.[1][3][10]

Malika Andrews has become one of ESPN’s most recognisable studio voices through her NBA and WNBA coverage, where she is known for clear presentation and interview-led analysis. Ryan Ruocco is a long-standing play-by-play commentator across ESPN’s basketball coverage, while former WNBA All-Star and champion Rebecca Lobo brings first-hand elite playing experience and years of television analysis to the booth.[3] That combination gives ESPN a familiar, established broadcast core for one of the league’s showcase weekends.

The analyst group is equally strong. Andraya Carter has built a reputation as a sharp on-air analyst across college and professional basketball, Chiney Ogwumike has combined elite WNBA playing pedigree with broadcaster and advocacy work, and Monica McNutt has developed into a respected basketball commentator across studio and game coverage. On the reporting side, Holly Rowe is one of the most experienced figures in women’s sports broadcasting, with decades of live-event reporting for ESPN and a strong association with NCAA and WNBA coverage.[3]

For fans following the competition context, the 2026 WNBA season is the league’s 30th and is being played with a 44-game regular season. National coverage is spread across a wide rights package, but ESPN remains central to the league’s premium televised inventory, carrying regular-season games and major tentpole events such as All-Star weekend.[3][4][9]

Chicago’s hosting role is particularly notable because the city is also home to the Chicago Sky, the franchise that will stage the league’s showcase weekend at the United Center and nearby Wintrust Arena for the ancillary events.[3][10] The schedule listings for 25 July 2026 show the All-Star fixture as the day’s WNBA centrepiece, underlining that this is not just another date in the calendar but one of the sport’s most visible annual occasions.[2][8]

If you are watching in the US, the most direct options are ESPN, the ESPN App and ESPN Unlimited; in Canada, the game is available on TSN Canada 4 HD and TSN Canada 5 HD. For more background on the league, see the WNBA.

Article generated: 25 July 2026, 01:00 GMT