WNBA Finals: ESPN Puts Stories on the Court' Front and Center, Debuts 3-Point Distance Tracking

WNBA Finals: ESPN Puts Stories on the Court' Front and Center, Debuts 3-Point Distance TrackingAces-Mercury series marks the broadcaster's 29th consecutive WNBA FinalsBy Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - 7:00 am

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The 2025 edition of the WNBA Finals, between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, is the league's 29th consecutive championship series to air across ESPN platforms and the series tipped off last week with the most watched Game 1 in 28 years. After that record-setting start in the Aces' dramatic Game 1 win followed by their runaway victory in Game 2, ESPN is back tonight with Game 3 with its full arsenal of production tech including new 3-point-distance shot tracking.

Our coverage always comes back to the stories on the court, says ESPN Coordinating Producer Rodney Vaughn. Whether it's A'ja Wilson chasing her third WNBA title or Alyssa Thomas trying to win her first, each game has its own narrative. Our job is to capture those moments and let the finals unfold naturally until a champion is crowned.

At Las Vegas's Michelob ULTRA Arena, ESPN is working from F&F Productions GTX-19 A, B, and C mobile units; in Phoenix, Game Creek Video Chesapeake and B8 units are onsite. CES is providing a 300-kW twin-pack generator and an onsite backup uplink.

The broadcaster is replicating the workflow deployed for the WNBA All-Star Game in July, according to ESPN Senior Manager, Remote Operations, Jarrett Baker. The game and studio productions originate from the same technical core, he explains. This significantly reduces the number of video interconnects required but does require careful schedule coordination for fax and transmission.

To bring fans closer to the players, Vaughn says, ESPN is utilizing the access that the WNBA provides the network, including deploying player mics for in-game features as well as at the end of quarters and for halftime walk-and-talk interviews, allowing the audience hear directly from the players in real time. Add in the coach interviews at quarter breaks, he notes, and fans get an inside look at what teams are seeing and the adjustments they're making.

From a technology perspective, ESPN is using 3-point-distance shot tracking in WNBA coverage for the first time. Every time a player attempts a 3-point shot from beyond a certain distance, the at-home viewer will see a graphic display on the broadcast screen that highlights just how deep the shot is.

For the finals broadcasts, which are being produced in 1080p SDR, ESPN is deploying a new Sony HDC-4800 camera paired with a Fuji 25-1000mm Duvo lens at a low-slash position. The combination of shallow depth of field and ultra slow motion adds a new dimension to our coverage, Baker says.

Two Panasonic 150 PTZ cameras mounted at the scorer's table can cross-shoot both teams' benches and coaches, providing a camera angle that isn't seen during the regular season. In addition, the Ronin operator can work on the court during some free-throw scenarios and provide special crowd shots to the production team, according to Baker. A total of 25 cameras are incorporated into the finals broadcasts: six hards, six POVs, six robos, and seven handhelds.

Key technology vendors for the finals are CMSI, CP Communications, Faction Media, Jaybird Jibs, NEP Media Services, NEP Specialty Capture, and West River Light & Sound.

The WNBA Finals productions feature a crew of 285. Onsite operations personnel include SVP, Content Operations, Chris Calcinari; Senior Director Dennis Cleary; Senior Manager, Remote Operations, Jarrett Baker; Operations Specialists Tom Clark, Jake Mankin, and Joe Rainey; Senior Operations Producers Diane Dovjak, Traci Flohr, and Tracy Howe; Operations Producers Alice Garrett, Dwayne Jones, Hauna Moore, and Courtney Ottrix; and Operations Coordinators Briana Peters and Lisah Bobowicz.

REMCO operations staffers include Supervisor Jeff McGuire and Technical Operations Manager Marissa Bonertz. Bristol support includes Crewing Supervisor Paula Grahame, Crewing Coordinator Sam Robuccio, Crewing Coordinator Max Morales, Remote Traffic Operations Manager Daryl Timothy, Senior Remote Traffic Operations Coordinator Hector Hernandez, Senior Mobile Unit Operations Coordinator Vicki DiTolla, Mobile Unit Operations Specialist Pete Wychulis, Audio Comms RF Specialist Ricardo Quintero, Resource Scheduling Manager Laurie Niziolek, and Senior Resource Coordinator Angel Padilla.

ESPN's coverage of the WNBA Finals continues tonight on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, with NBA Countdown Presented by Google at 7 p.m. ET and Game 3 tip-off at 8 p.m.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/10/08/wnba-finals-espn-puts-stories-o...
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