ESPN‘s exclusive presentation of the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship culminates with the most expansive production in ESPN history for the NCAA Women’s Final Four, live from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., April 1-3.
The 2022 championship will air in primetime on ESPN with a full MegaCast presentation across ESPN platforms for both the semifinals and championship game. All televised presentations of the semifinals and championship game will also be simulcast on ESPN+.
The first semifinal tips off on ESPN and ESPN+ at 7 PM ET on Friday, April 1, featuring South Carolina and Louisville. In the second semifinal on ESPN and ESPN+, Stanford and UConn are slated to show down at 9:30 PM. Winners of both games will secure spots in the national championship on Sunday, April 3, at 8 PM on ESPN and ESPN+.
ESPN’s main telecast, presented by Capital One, will feature play-by-play commentator Ryan Ruocco, analyst Rebecca Lobo, reporter Holly Rowe and sideline analyst Andraya Carter providing insight, commentary and reporting throughout the weekend. Lobo returns to Minneapolis, the site of her 1995 NCAA Championship title with the UConn Huskies.
MegaCast from Minneapolis
ESPN’s expansive production surrounding the Women’s Basketball Championship is highlighted by a MegaCast presentation across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN+ for both the semifinals and championship game.
The Bird & Taurasi Show Presented by AT&T 5G (BTS) features women’s basketball legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi providing their unique perspective and friendly banter live from the Target Center, with semifinal coverage on ESPNU and ESPN+, and championship action on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The duo will have their own set on the concourse level of the arena, joined by various special guests from the worlds of sports, pop culture and more.
Details on BTS Presented by AT&T 5G guests for the semifinals and championship game will be announced in the coming days.
Second Spectrum Player Tracking will be available as a MegaCast feed, as ESPN will be able to select from a suite of data-driven visualizations, including split-second shot probabilities and distances to 3-point special effects, captured through optical tracking technology that identifies and delivers the precise coordinates of every player and the ball, 25 times a second. The option—which has been utilized on select ESPN NBA telecasts—will be carried on ESPN+ for the semifinals and ESPNU and ESPN+ for the championship game. The main ESPN telecast and various studio programming will also have access to Genius Sports’ Second Spectrum technology through its unique Insight tool.
Additional MegaCast feeds include:
- Beyond the Rim (ESPN+): Provides an aerial camera view with main telecast commentary and replays, with an enhanced statistical feed
- On the Rail (ESPN+): Tracks game action one full length of the floor from end to end. The stream will feature natural sound and replays
Studio Programming Spotlights Women’s College Basketball’s Greatest Stage
Studio coverage from the Target Center will be hosted by Elle Duncan, joined by analysts Rebecca Lobo, Carolyn Peck and Nikki Fargas. SportsCenter will have live updates and additional coverage throughout the weekend from Minneapolis, featuring analyst Monica McNutt. The NCAA Women’s Final Four Special Presented by Capital One tips off at 6 p.m. on Friday on ESPN, breaking down the storylines and previewing the matchups from the Target Center. The quartet will also share insights on ESPN and ESPNU between semifinals with NCAA Women’s Final Four Update Presented by Capital One.
On Saturday, ESPN will have exclusive coverage of the practice day leading into the championship game for the first time with NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship All Access Practice live on ESPN+ at 2 PM.
Leading into Sunday’s championship showdown, NCAA Women’s Championship Special Presented by Capital One will prep fans for the season finale of the 2021-22 season. Post-game coverage will be live on SportsCenter following the final buzzer from the Target Center, including presentation of the WBCA Coaches Trophy presented by Invesco QQQ, and the net-cutting ceremony, which will be presented by Werner Ladder. Also featured on Championship Sunday is a Fifty/50 essay written by Dr. Amira Rose Davis.
