or


[04/03/14 - 07:48 AM]
NCAA Women's Final Four Coverage from Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
ESPN will carry the Semifinals on Sunday, April 6 and the National Championship on Tuesday, April 8.

[via press release from ESPN]

NCAA Women's Final Four Coverage from Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

National Semifinals on ESPN - Sunday, April 6: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Maryland at 6:30 p.m. ET; No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 2 Stanford at 8:30 p.m.

National Championship on ESPN - Tuesday, April 8: Semifinal Game winners at 8:30 p.m.

All three games will also be available on WatchESPN

Final Four Coverage Plans

· 19th year of exclusive coverage on ESPN; 12th year covering all 63 games

· New this year is 'ESPN3 Surround' - an alternative viewing experience with different camera angles and natural audio sound from inside Bridgestone Arena

· ESPN analyst and former Connecticut standout Rebecca Lobo voiced over a feature on the Emergence of the UConn program that includes interviews with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, hiring athletic director John Toner, former player Peggy Walsh Myers and current student-athlete Breanna Stewart

· An inside look at Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw, including her rise at ND, how she transformed the program over the last 15 years, plus sound from ESPN analyst and former ND head coach Digger Phelps.

· Additional content to run throughout the weekend, include a look at Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike and sound from Maryland's Lexie Brown and her father Dee Brown, a current NBA assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings

· Sense of Place feature - as seen regularly on ESPN College GameDay - highlights Nashville, its surroundings and history

· ESPN teamed with actress Connie Britton of ABC's hit drama series "Nashville", who covered "The Only Way I Know" - originally recorded by Jason Aldean featuring Luke Bryant and Eric Church

· Britton also shot a music video locally in Nashville which incorporates in-tournament highlights plus specialty shots of the four advancing teams and audio from top players and coaches

· ESPN3 will also carry the postgame celebration, trophy presentation and the net cutting

· Pregame locker room access, in-game head coach and halftime player interviews, along with on-set studio interviews with special guests

· In-arena studio presence with host Kevin Negandhi and analysts Kara Lawson and Lobo - in her first year as a studio host

· Dave O'Brien returns as the play-by-play announcer, and is joined by analyst Doris Burke and reporter Holly Rowe

· Reporter Bob Holtzman provides updates for SportsCenter live from Nashville

· Technologies used during the Final Four telecasts:

· A court-side telestrator used by the announce team is added to this year's production

· NAC High-Motion camera that utilizes three-chip technology to produce greater light sensitivity and flicker reduction and can be used to record exceptional slow motion replays

· Brenda VanLengen, ESPN play-by-play announcer and analyst, operating an ART System (telestrator device) for the fourth consecutive year; it is also used on ESPN's Monday Night Football and NBA telecasts

· Three Avid Media Composer suites in the media compound to support pre-production pieces

· 21 game cameras, with the ability to have 24 different positions, plus four cameras focused on the in-arena set

WatchESPN

Accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the award-winning WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon FireTV. Additionally, ESPN3 will carry the post-game celebration live exclusively following the conclusion of the Championship game. WatchESPN is available in 67.5 million households nationwide to fans of an affiliated video provider, including AT&T U-verse� TV, Bright House Networks, Cablevision's Optimum TV, Charter, Comcast Xfinity TV, Cox, DISH, Google Fiber, Midcontinent Communications, NRTC, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS TV.

ESPN Final Four Commentators

Studio Team

Kevin Negandhi (Second-year host): Negandhi joined ESPN in September 2006 as an anchor for ESPNEWS and currently works the 9 a.m. edition of SportsCenter with Hannah Storm. He is in his second year as a women's basketball studio host. Negandhi got his start covering women's basketball while attending college at Temple, where he was a 1997 graduate.

Kara Lawson (Ninth-year analyst): Lawson is in her 11th year as an analyst for ESPN. She works men's and women's college basketball games and also as a studio analyst. Lawson led University of Tennessee to three straight Final Fours and was a two-time All-American. She won a gold medal with the 2008 U.S. Women's Basketball Olympic Team in Beijing and will be entering her 12th season with the WNBA - winning a league title in 2005 and in her first year with the Washington Mystics.

Rebecca Lobo (First-year studio analyst; Seventh overall): Lobo joined ESPN in 2004 as a women's college basketball and WNBA analyst. She won an NCAA Championship in 1995 with the University of Connecticut where she was a National Player of the Year and an All-American. In addition, Lobo won a gold medal with the 1996 U.S. Women's Basketball Olympic Team during the Atlanta Olympics and played in the WNBA for seven seasons.

Game Commentators

Doris Burke (Ninth-year game analyst; 12th overall): Burke began covering basketball for ESPN in 1991. She currently is an analyst on men's and women's college and NBA games, a sideline reporter for select telecasts and appears on the Wednesday editions of Kia NBA Countdown. Burke was a basketball player at Providence College and was named a NCAA 2012 Silver Anniversary Award recipient.

Dave O'Brien (Fifth-year play-by-play): O'Brien joined ESPN in 2002 as a play-by-play announcer and currently works Major League Baseball and college basketball telecasts. In 2010, O'Brien added the Women's Final Four to his announcing responsibilities, and he previously worked NBA telecasts. He is also the radio play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox. A Boston native, O'Brien attended Syracuse University.

Holly Rowe (Ninth-year reporter): Rowe began working ESPN telecasts in 1995, and joined on a regular-basis in 1998. She primarily covers college football, men's and women's basketball and softball as a reporter, as well as the NBA and WNBA. Rowe has also provided play-by-play commentary for women's college basketball, softball and volleyball. She is a graduate of the University of Utah.

SportsCenter/ESPNEWS Reporter

Bob Holtzman: Holtzman joined ESPN in 2000 as a reporter, primarily handling stories featured in the network's award-winning news and information franchise - SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, Outside the Lines, Baseball Tonight, NBA shows, ESPNEWS and others. Holtzman graduated from the University of Kansas.

espnW @ The Championship

The site will continue to highlight stories surrounding the Final Four, and certain aspects will be integrated into game telecasts:

· In-depth and on-site coverage of each team, including features and video analysis from Charlie Creme, Kate Fagan, Graham Hays, Michelle Smith and Mechelle Voepel

· ESPN's Carolyn Peck and LaChina Robinson, as well as former LA Sparks star and US Gold Medalist Lisa Leslie, will use video to capture the sites and scenes around Nashville, including interviews and behind-the-scenes footage

· Twitter conversations through via @ESPN_WomenHoop, @espnW and the #NCAAWFF hashtag

· Tourney Snapshots includes team- and fan-submitted social media photos and video with behind-the-scenes access to teams, players and coaches (www.espnw.com/tourneyphotos)

· Women's Final Four Live - a live chat throughout the semifinals and championship game, featuring tweets and analysis from ESPN's analysts and espnW contributors

· Student-athlete bloggers include Stefanie Dolson (UConn), Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford) and Chloe Pavlech (Maryland)

· Video interviews throughout the weekend: women's basketball stars Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles, Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner; musicians Ayla Brown (American Idol & former BC basketball player) and Grammy-nominated Carolyn Malachi, who will sing the National Anthem on Sunday; and Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker

· Continued coverage of UConn's and Notre Dame's "Pursuit of Perfection"

· Exclusive announcement Sunday of the Nancy Lieberman Award winner, including an interview with the top point guard

SportsCenter will present in-depth coverage of the NCAA Women's Final Four with on-site set presence from Negandhi, Lawson and Lobo; SportsCenter reports from Holtzman and the airing of NCAA Women's Final Four specific features.

ESPN International networks will offer the national semifinals and title game to fans on ESPN2 Australia, ESPN Brazil HD, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Latin North, ESPN Tres North, ESPN Tres South and ESPN UK.

ESPNFrontRow.com - for the third straight year - will provide behind-the-scenes features centered on ESPN's coverage of the Women's Final Four. Highlights include a chat with Lobo on the Birth of UConn feature; behind-the-scene photo gallery and more.

Women's Final Four Specials

NCAA Women's Final Four Special Presented by Capital One: The 30-minute Women's Final Four preview show will be hosted by Negandhi with analysts Lawson and Lobo from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville will precede the National Semifinals Sunday, April 6, at 6 p.m. on ESPN and WatchESPN.

College Basketball Live: Women's National Championship Special: The 90-minute special, hosted by Matt Schick and analysts Nell Fortner and Brooke Weisbrod, on Tuesday, April 9, at 6 p.m. on ESPNU and WatchESPN will highlight and preview the Women's National Championship title game.

NCAA Women's Championship Special Presented by Capital One: ESPN and WatchESPN will tip off the National Championship game coverage with an hour-long preview special, also hosted by Negandhi, Lawson and Lobo, from Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m.

NCAA Division I Women's Final Four Schedule (subject to change)

Date Time (ET) Telecast Networks

Sun, Apr 6 6 p.m. NCAA Women's Final Four Special Presented by Capital One Kevin Negandhi, Kara Lawson & Rebecca Lob

· ESPN / WatchESPN 6:30 p.m. National Semifinal Game 1 (Nashville, Tenn.): No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Maryland Dave O'Brien, Doris Burke & Holly Rowe ESPN / WatchESPN 9 p.m. National Semifinal Game 2 (Nashville, Tenn.): No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 2 Stanford ESPN / WatchESPN

Tue, Apr 8 6 p.m. College Basketball Live: NCAA Women's Championship Special ESPNU / WatchESPN 7:30 p.m. NCAA Women's Championship Special Presented by Capital One Kevin Negandhi, Kara Lawson & Rebecca Lob

· ESPN / WatchESPN 8:30 p.m. National Final (Nashville, Tenn.) Dave O'Brien, Doris Burke & Holly Rowe ESPN / WatchESPN

ESPN.com's Women's Tournament Challenge

Several statistics highlight ESPN.com's Women's Tournament Challenge and the teams that advanced to the Final Four.

· Only two percent of Women's Tournament Challenge brackets got all four Women's Final Four teams correct

· 43.8 percent of brackets got three of four teams in the Women's Final Four

· President Obama's bracket currently sits in the 97.3 percentile. He got three of the Final Four teams' correct, missing only Maryland. He also had seven of the eight Elite Eight teams correct.

· Percent of brackets picking the national champion:

· Connecticut: 57.0 percent; Notre Dame: 19.9 percent; Stanford: 3.0 percent and Maryland: 0.5 percent

· Percent of brackets picking each team to reach the national title game:

· Connecticut: 79.7 percent; Notre Dame: 61.2 percent; Stanford: 7.0 percent and Maryland: 1.4 percent

ESPN Classic will feature a marathon on Sunday, April 6, with six recent Women's Final Four games that each includes at least one team in this year's national semifinals. The 2012 National Championship featuring Connecticut and Stanford will be aired at 12:30 p.m. - a matchup that will be repeated in the second national semifinal Sunday.

ESPN Classic NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Schedule

Date Time (ET) Game

Sun, Apr 6 7 a.m. 2002 NCAA National Championship: Connecticut vs. Oklahoma 9 a.m. 2009 NCAA National Championship: Connecticut vs. Louisville 10:30 a.m. 2010 NCAA National Semifinal: Connecticut vs. Baylor 12:30 p.m. 2010 NCAA National Championship: Connecticut vs. Stanford 2:30 p.m. 2012 NCAA National Semifinal: Baylor vs. Stanford 4 p.m. 2012 NCAA National Championship: Baylor vs. Notre Dame





  [april 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[07/10/25 - 05:03 PM]
Meagan Good Returns to Lifetime to Executive Produce and Star in the Alluring New Thriller "I'll Never Let You Go" Alongside Antonio Cupo and Thomas Cadrot, Premiering August 16 on Lifetime
Good stars as Emily Westover, a poised and successful art gallery director whose life takes a dark turn after a brief, impulsive affair with a magnetic Italian artist, Carlo (Cupo).

[07/10/25 - 12:01 PM]
"Virgin River" Is Returning for Season 8
"On behalf of myself and the whole 'Virgin River' family, we're eternally grateful to Netflix and to the fans for allowing us to continue on this journey with these beloved characters," said showrunner Patrick Sean Smith.

[07/10/25 - 12:00 PM]
ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One" Schedule Update: New York Mets to Visit San Francisco Giants on July 27
Karl Ravech will call the action with analyst Eduardo Pérez, analyst and five-time World Series Champion David Cone and reporter Buster Olney.

[07/10/25 - 11:04 AM]
Paris Berelc to Co-Star and Executive Produce Upcoming Tubi Original YA Romantic Comedy Film "Kissing Is the Easy Part"
Fawzia Mirza (The Queen of my Dreams) is set to direct the film, which is based on the popular Wattpad webnovel (currently at 31.9 million reads) of the same name by Christine Duann adapted by Rebecca Webb.

[07/10/25 - 10:30 AM]
HBO Orders Untitled American History Sketch Comedy Starring and Executive Produced by Larry David and Higher Ground
President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. ...But then Larry David called.

[07/10/25 - 10:10 AM]
Apple's Acclaimed Sci-Fi Series "Murderbot" Lands Season Two Renewal
The season one finale of "Murderbot" premieres globally this Friday, July 11.

[07/10/25 - 10:06 AM]
AMC Networks Returns to Comic-Con International with Dynamic Lineup of Fan-Favorite Series Panels, Screenings, A Shudder Fan Activation & More
Panels include a return to Hall H for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, featuring an exclusive first-look at the official trailer from the third season, premiering Sunday, September 7 on AMC and AMC+.

[07/10/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Marc Maron: Panicked" - Official Trailer - HBO Max
He's mining for gold in a river of panic.

[07/10/25 - 09:55 AM]
"The Great Food Truck Race" Hosted by Tyler Florence Returns with New Roster of Competitors and Epic Culinary Challenges
The new season premieres Sunday, August 3 at 9pm ET/PT and streams next day on HBO Max.

[07/10/25 - 09:39 AM]
Peacock Announces September 4 Premiere Date for "The Paper"
The series premieres on Peacock with four episodes on September 4, followed by two new episodes every Thursday through September 25.

[07/10/25 - 09:34 AM]
MGM+ Unveils "Let The Devil In" Premiere Date
Premiering August 31, the four-episode documentary series is about a decades-old tragedy that destroyed one family and ignited the darkest fears of a small New Jersey town.

[07/10/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Adds Broadcast Veterans to NBA on Prime Game Coverage Lineup
The broadcast team includes award-winning play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Michael Grady and Eric Collins.

[07/10/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Starz Releases Key Art and Trailer for Timeless Romantic Drama "Outlander: Blood of My Blood," Premiering Friday, August 8
From the battlefields of World War I to the rugged Highlands of 18th century Scotland, two fated couples must defy the forces that seek to tear them apart, intersecting in surprising and unforeseen ways.

[07/10/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Trailer and Key Art for Season Two of "Sausage Party: Foodtopia"
All eight episodes of the animated comedy will be served all at once in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Prime Video August 13.

[07/10/25 - 08:13 AM]
Star Designer Bobby Berk to Host Newly Greenlit HGTV Series "Junk or Jackpot?" (wt) Produced by John Cena
Executive produced by actor, wrestler and entrepreneur John Cena, the six-episode season follows collectors as they discover the true monetary value of their massive and unusual collections.