Stephanie Ready has spent a dozen seasons with the Charlotte Hornets as a sideline reporter, but now she’ll get her shot as the NBA’s first full-time female analyst.
Fox Sports Southeast, now entering its eighth year as the Hornets’ TV partner, announced Ready as part of a three-person telecast team that includes play-by-play man Eric Collins and former NBA and Hornets player Dell Curry.
"This is actually the reason I got into television in the first place," Ready told Fox Sports Carolinas. "I always wanted to be a game analyst. I have a passion for the game of basketball and being a coach you teach the game and you learn how to explain the game to people who may not understand it. I thought being a game analyst on television would be perfect, because that's what you get to do."
In addition to her sideline-reporting duties, Ready hosted the Hornets' pregame and postgame shows and occasionally filled in for Curry as an analyst. Her rapport with the team made her an easy choice for the new gig.
"Just being so familiar with the team, the coaches, the players, the organization, this absolutely is a perfect fit," Ready said. "As far as transitioning from one job to the other, I don't think there could be a more perfect place to do that."
As excited as she is about her new opportunity, Ready is accustomed to making history. In 2001, the former Coppin State standout became the first female to coach a men’s professional sports team when she led the NBDL’s Greenville Groove to a league title.
"She knows the game very well. She knows the players. She knows strategy, plays," Curry said of his new telecast partner. "As an ex-player, whether you're male or female, if you're an ex-player, you should know your craft and she definitely does."