With Elle Duncan leaving ESPN to join Netflix’s growing portfolio of sports content, The Worldwide Leader in Sports needs a new WNBA studio host. They may have found the right woman for the job.

According to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, ESPN’s Malika Andrews has been identified as the leading candidate to replace Duncan in the role. Per the report, a deal has not yet been finalized.

“Malika Andrews is the leading candidate to become ESPN’s lead WNBA studio host after the departure of Elle Duncan, sources told Front Office Sports,” Glasspiegel wrote.

“No deal has been finalized, and a spokesperson for ESPN declined to comment.”

Malika Andrews’ Career

Andrews has rapidly become one of ESPN’s prominent voices in NBA coverage. She joined ESPN in October 2018 as an online NBA writer, covering teams like the Bulls and Bucks, following earlier work for the Chicago Tribune and a fellowship at The New York Times. In 2020, she gained wider visibility during the NBA Bubble as a sideline reporter, and in 2021 she served as sideline reporter for the NBA Finals.

Her on-air career has continued climbing: she became the host of NBA Today in late 2021, replacing The Jump, becoming also the first woman to host the NBA Draft in 2022. She’s been recognized with industry honors including a Sports Emmy Award for Emerging On-Air Talent, and was featured in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” for sports in 2021. Her reporting style is noted for professionalism, poise, and storytelling that blends deep knowledge of the game with attention to broader social and cultural issues.

ESPN host Malika Andrews on the court.

The much deeper question right now isn’t whether Andrews is qualified for the role. It’s whether there will even be WNBA games to broadcast in 2026.

Judging from some of the rumored disagreements between the WNBA and the players union they’re trying to negotiate a CBA with, the two sides appear to be miles apart with just six months until tipoff.