WNBA Players, Coaches Among Commentators

This year's NCAA Women's Basketball Championship coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN FULL COURT will feature 36 different game and studio commentators to capture all 63 games of the event.� The lineup will include the debut and return of several top women's basketball personalities, including players and coaches from the WNBA and leading ESPN voices.

Bird

Cash

Dales-Schuman

The top three 2002 WNBA draft picks, all of whom participated in last year's NCAA Championship game -- Sue Bird (Seattle) and Swin Cash (Detroit) of Connecticut calling games and Stacey Dales-Schuman (Washington) of Oklahoma in the studio -- highlight the list of first-year analysts.

Other members of the WNBA serving as first-year game analysts include player Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles) and coaches Van Chancellor (Houston) and Dan Hughes (Cleveland).� Nell Fortner (coach of Indiana) will return for her third season as studio analyst.

Carol Ross, long-time University of Florida coach, will make her debut as a game analyst.

Fortner

Leslie

Mike Patrick, the play-by-play voice for many of the network's top events including NCAA men's basketball and Sunday Night NFL, and analyst Ann Meyers, an ESPN basketball analyst since 1983, will call their eighth consecutive Women's Final Four. This year's studio team will pair new host Rece Davis with Dales-Schuman and Fortner.

Other top ESPN commentators calling games include Pam Ward, Sean McDonough, Ron Franklin and Dave Barnett and analysts Doris Burke and Nancy Lieberman.

"We've assembled a team of game and studio commentators with extensive playing and coaching experience at all levels of women's basketball," said Tina Thornton, ESPN coordinating producer.� "Gathering a quality team of announcers to cover all 63 Tournament games was a challenging piece of the overall production puzzle.� The end result is we've formed a group with a tremendous wealth of knowledge."

During the first two rounds, the networks will utilize a combination of returning and new personalities to form 16 commentator teams.� The regional rounds will feature four teams: Patrick and Meyers with Beth Mowins reporting; McDonough, Burke and reporter Jimmy Dykes; Barnett, Lieberman and reporter Deb Antonelli; and Ward, Vera Jones and reporter Heather Cox.�Site assignments will be determined on a later date.

In addition to Patrick and Meyers, the Final Four telecasts will include Burke and Ward as reporters.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN FULL COURT will combine to present all 63 games (in 36 telecasts windows) of the Tournament March 22 through April 8, including regionalized and whiparound coverage during the first two rounds (48 games within 21 windows).� Last year, the networks combined to televise 31 games.

FIRST-, SECOND-ROUND COMMENTATORS
(In alphabetical order; teams to be determined)

Play-by-play	�	Analysts
Dave Barnett	�	Deb Antonelli
Cara Capuano	�	Sue Bird
Bob Carpenter	�	Krista Blunk
Ron Franklin	�	Doris Burke
Mark Jones	�	Swin Cash
Sean McDonough	�	Van Chancellor
Beth Mowins	�	Heather Cox
Dave O'Brien	�	Jimmy Dykes
Dave Pasch	�	Dan Hughes
Bob Picozzi	�	Vera Jones
Jerry Punch	�	Lisa Leslie
Dave Revsine	�	Nancy Lieberman
Dave Ryan	�	Ann Meyers
Dave Strader	�	Patti Phillips
Pam Ward	�	Carol Ross
Tracy Warren	�	Brenda VanLengen

REGIONAL COMMENTATOR TEAMS
(Regions to be determined)

Play-by-play	�	Analyst	�	Reporters
Mike Patrick	�	Ann Meyers	�	Beth Mowins
Sean McDonough	�	Doris Burke	�	Jimmy Dykes
Dave Barnett	�	Nancy Lieberman	�	Deb Antonelli
Pam Ward	�	Vera Jones	�	Heather Cox

FINAL FOUR COMMENTATOR TEAM

Play-by-play	�	Analyst	�	Reporters
Mike Patrick	�	Ann Meyers	�	Doris Burke, Pam Ward

Note: All commentator teams subject to change.