ESPN Sets the Stage for Women s Final Four Showdown in Dallas

The NCAA Women's Final Four tips off tonight in Dallas, when No. 2 seed Stanford takes on No. 1 seed South Carolina, followed by No. 2 seed Mississippi State - in its first-ever Final Four appearance - against perennial powerhouse UConn, the No. 1 overall seed in search of a fifth straight NCAA tournament title. For the 15th consecutive year, ESPN has been with the tournament every step of the way and will surround this weekend's games with extensive, multiplatform coverage.

American Airlines Center hosts the NCAA Women's Final Four tonight.

ESPN's priority, first and foremost, is to serve sports fans anywhere anytime, says Coordinating Producer Kate Jackson. The inclusion of newcomer Mississippi State is so exciting. They have some incredible stories on that team, and this is their first trip to the Final Four. This speaks volumes about the elevation of the women's game. We had such competitive Elite Eight match-ups to make it to the Final Four. It is a testament to the growth and development of women's college basketball.

All is ready for the tipoff of the first semifinal game.

ESPN has deployed the A, B, D, and E units of NEP's EN1 - the multi-truck unit that primarily covers Monday Night Football - to Dallas to cover the Women's Final Four at American Airlines Center. In total, ESPN will use 25 cameras to cover the games, plus an additional four focused on the in-arena set, including 13 traditional truck cameras; two Sony HDC-4300 super-slow-motion cameras; above-the-rim, below-the-rim, and behind-the-glass robotic camera systems from Fletcher; an RF Steadicam from 3g Wireless; seven Marshall POV cameras; a jib crane on the studio set; and several additional camera feeds provided by the arena. In addition, a TVU unit with an ENG camera will support the studio coverage.

One of four cameras focused on the in-arena set

The camera coverage has ramped up from Rounds 1 and 2 with five manned cameras to Regional rounds with each site having six manned cameras, says Operations Manager Terri Hermann. It's culminated in the extensive coverage we have in Dallas.

ESPN will also incorporate the ART telestration system for the sixth consecutive year and will have two Avid Symphony Nitris DX Mac systems onsite to support preproduction elements for both the games and studio shows. ESPN3 will provide fans with two additional channels for enhanced viewing of the games; ESPN3 Surround will feature the above-the-rim camera feeds with full natural sound from the arena. ESPN3's Data Center will enhance ESPN's game coverage with real-time stats, analytics, and social-media commentary.

Stanford tips off against South Carolina tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, with Mississippi State vs. UConn to follow at 9:30 p.m. ET. The winners of tonight's games will face off in the National Championship Game on Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Kara Lawson, serving as a Women's Final Four game analyst for the first time, joins Dave O'Brien (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analyst), and Holly Rowe (reporter) for the semifinals and championship game. Maria Taylor, Andy Landers, and Rebecca Lobo make their Women's Final Four studio debut as a team, providing coverage throughout the weekend. Nell Fortner will also contribute to studio coverage, and SportsCenter reporter Bob Holtzmann will provide team coverage from practice and games.

Says Jackson, We truly have an incredible team to bring these stories home to our viewers.

LINK:	http://www.sportsvideo.org/2017/03/31/espn-sets-the-stage-for-womens-f...
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