June 15, 2020
“When We Play,” three days of women’s sports programming from June 21-23, coming to ESPN networks
The network will commemorate the 48th anniversary of the passing of Title IX with over 125 hours of "female focused programming."
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To celebrate the 48th anniversary of Title IX’s passing, ESPN will launch “espnW presents: When We Play,” three days of multi-platform programming focused on women’s sports starting June 21. Replays of past women’s college basketball, tennis matches, UFC fights, and more will air on ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and Longhorn Network from Sunday at 12:30 pm to Tuesday, the anniversary itself, at 11:30 p.m.
To kick off the event on Sunday, fans can vote to watch the USWNT take on Japan in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup final, the 2019 Division I NCAA Volleyball Championship, the 2019 Division I NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship or the 2019 WNBA Finals Game Five between Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics.
Later in the day, ESPN2 will air the Oregon vs. Stanford women’s basketball game in which Sabrina Ionescu became the first NCAA college basketball player to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds.
On Monday night at 7 pm, a 30-minute “WNBA Special” will air on ESPN2, hosted by Ryan Ruocco who will be joined by analysts Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson, and Holly Rowe.
The special will also feature interviews with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and 2019 WNBA MVP and champion Elena Delle Donne. Later that night, the women’s basketball content continues with the documentary, “For The Culture,” which tells the story of Dawn Staley’s stacked 2019-20 South Carolina Gamecocks squad.
Tuesday will see almost 24 hours of women’s sports programming, including a re-airing of the 2018 WNBA semifinals game 5 between the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm, a 2020 match-up between the Gamecocks and Mississippi State, the 2018 NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship: Notre Dame vs. Mississippi State, the 2004 NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship between UConn and Tennessee and more.
The full schedule of programming and events can be viewed here.
Additionally, there will be more women’s sports content on the espnW social handles, ESPN.com, and ESPN audio throughout the three days. On Tuesday’s podcast episode of “That’s What She Said with Sarah Spain,” Spain will host a roundtable discussion with Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, former Notre Dame Women’s head basketball coach Ann “Muffet” McGraw and the University of Tennessee’s Athletic Director Phillip Fulmer on women in leadership roles.
Interviews with female NBA assistant coaches, including the likes of Spurs’ Becky Hammon, Mavericks’ Jenny Boucek, and Kristi Toliver, who now plays for the Sparks and works for the Wizards in her offseason, will also feature among the complementary content.
