In honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day, Kings TV Sideline Reporter & Analyst Kayte Hunter joined Kings team members via Microsoft Teams on Monday for an all-encompassing discussion of her career, inspirations and more.
Throughout the month of March, the Sacramento Kings aim to highlight inspiring women in the organization and the community with insightful Q&A's, informative blogs and much more.
After playing basketball at UC Santa Barbara, Hunter was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2002 WNBA Draft, competing six seasons at the highest level for starting her broadcasting career.
Hunter is a two-time recipient of the WNBA's Community Assist Award and played internationally in South Korea, Turkey, Russia and Greece. She also earned a spot on the Big West Conference All-Freshman Team and was Big West Player of the Year in 2002.
"I was super super fortunate," said Hunter on Monday. "[The WNBA] was so different than college and you learn very quickly. You just kind of have to find a way to stay if that makes sense."
Hunter's broadcasting career began as the Arizona State Sun Devils women's basketball radio color analyst and continues today in Sacramento for NBC Sports.
"It was a gift, really. I never thought I'd do it. I wanted to be a college professor but this requires a lot less schooling. So here I am and I love it. I absolutely love it."
Despite her illustrious career, Hunter has also seen her fair share of obstacles as a woman in sports.
"Women being in locker rooms and having the opportunity to be a part of broadcasts was very rare," Hunter continued. "For the longest time — and still now to a certain degree — it's really terrifying being a female in this business it's almost like when you reach a certain age, you don't have the value anymore."
Despite these challenges, Hunter has seen an incredible amount of growth in the sports industry and aspires to inspire more women throughout her career.
"You have to have a strong sense of self. Just really continue to push yourself to grow and change and evolve within the business."
Stay tuned for more Women's History Month coverage on Kings.com and Kings social channels!