For the first time in Warriors history, and in celebration of Women’s Empowerment Month, the Warriors’ will feature six women leading the radio broadcast.
Warriors vs. Bulls Monday, March 29 PREGAME SHOW: 6:30 p.m.TIPOFF: 7:00 p.m.
HOW TO LISTEN: 95.7 The Game
For the first time in Warriors history, and in celebration of Women’s Empowerment Month, the Warriors’ will feature six women on the radio broadcast. This will take place on the Dubs’ Mar. 29 contest against the Chicago Bulls on the team’s flagship station 95.7 The Game. Featured that evening will be Kerith Burke as the host of the the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows; Kate Scott and Mary Murphy for play-by-play and analysis during the game; Chiney Ogwumike on the pregame Coach’s Show with Steve Kerr; Whitley Sandretto as 95.7 The Game’s on-site reporter; and Taneka Smothers managing the production’s audio.
“It's exciting, amazing, all the wonderful adjectives you can think of!” Smothers, a former Bay Area radio producer and now head of the podcast department of The Athletic, told warriors.com. “I'm thrilled to have a part in this historic moment. It's definitely a blessing.”
Kerith Burke echoed similar sentiment in a recent interview on the Warriors Sound podcast with R.C. Davis, saying: “I know it’s Women’s Empowerment Month, and I tell you I feel empowered!”
Burke is well known to Dub Nation having been the team’s sideline reporter on NBC Sport Bay Area broadcasts since the start of the 2017 season. She has also made appearances on the pre- and postgame shows, as well as podcasts.
Though well-experienced with television, Burke admitted Monday will be different: “I dabbled in radio a long time ago.”
“Radio is a different animal and I’m really excited for the challenge.”
Her specific role on Monday’s broadcast as the host of the pregame, halftime and postgame come with its own unique challenges, too. “That’s the glue for the whole show,” Burke said.
“I get to be the first voice people hear, and the last voice people hear. I have to bring the energy right away off the top. And I take that seriously.“
Also joining the pregame show will be Chiney Ogwumike, who will handle the Coach’s Show featuring Steve Kerr prior to tipoff. She was the first Black woman to host a national radio show for ESPN, one of the first and youngest basketball analysts for the network as well, all while still actively playing in the WNBA to this day.
“This is a huge opportunity to help cover a NBA game,” Burke said excitedly to warriors.com. “It’s one that I never thought I would have.”
Kate Scott also looks forward to the game, as it is a rare opportunity in sports.
“To call an NBA game as any broadcaster is a huge thing because there’s so few NBA teams and jobs,” she said on the Warriors’ podcast. “This is probably going to be a once in a lifetime thing.”
“Hopefully not!” she quickly added.
Scott is no stranger to breaking barriers for women in broadcasting. She was the first woman to call an NFL game on the radio, the first to call football for the Pac-12 Network, and the play-by-play announcer for the first all-female NHL broadcast in the United States.
On Monday, Scott will lead the broadcast with the play-by-play call, filling the big shoes of long-time voice of the Warriors in Tim Roye.
It was only right that Roye be the one to pass the torch to Scott for the Mar. 29 event.
Roye joined Scott March 11 on the morning radio show The Morning Roast on 95.7 The Game, which Scott co-hosts with with Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky, to discuss the Warriors’ upcoming second half of the season. He shared the special news just as he signed off.
Scott recounted the story, saying: “We’re literally saying goodbye to him when he just throws it out there: ‘What are you doing on March 29th, Kate?’”
“I literally have to pull up my calendar on my computer. ‘Well, uh, I’m hosting The Morning Roast and watching the Warriors-Bulls game,” she continued.
“And then he said I wasn’t going to be watching it and I was going to be calling it… I was literally in shock.”
The emotion and glee for Scott doesn’t just come from what is another career highlight for the seasoned broadcaster. This has been a life-long dream for her as a Northern California native and long-time Warriors fan.
“I know one hundred percent I wouldn’t be here with this opportunity to call a Warriors game if I hadn’t grown up around sports and so many sports nuts down in the Central Valley, if I hadn’t gotten to have as much fun as I had at Cal (Berkley) but also learn so much and make all the connections that then led to my broadcasting career,” said Scott told R.C. Davis on the Warriors Sound podcast.
Among those Scott connected with through her career and gave much credit in her own personal success is none other than Mary Murphy, who will be partnered with Scott on the radio broadcast and handle in-game analysis. Scott said of the opportunity and partnership: “To get to do it with somebody who’s not only fantastic at her job, which I can’t wait for our Warriors fans to hear that, but she’s been a mentor for me.”
“I wouldn’t be doing this if I hadn’t learned the craft over the past 10 years watching Mary,” continued Scott. “It comes down to the little things. Watching her at shootaround with coaches and with players. How does she prep? What does she dress like when she travels so people treat her as a professional? What is she eating or not eating on game day… It matters. All of those things — your sleep habits — I’ve learned all of that from Mary.”
There is mutual admiration between the two, which will make for a fun partnership on Monday’s broadcast.
“The thing about Kate is she’s such a go-getter… Kate, when you think ‘leadership,’ I think that’s one of the words that comes to mind.”
Murphy has been a strong presence within women’s basketball across several levels. She was head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers for eight seasons, guiding them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992. She became the first Head Coach and General Manager of the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs for a brief stint in 1997, and has since been a staple in WNBA and NCAA broadcasts.
In a stroke of irony, it is not just Scott who will enjoy calling the game for her hometown team. For Murphy, a Chicago native, this is a chance to call a game for the Bulls, the very team she grew up listening to on the radio.
“It’s going to be exciting doing a Bulls game too,” said Murphy. “My family is pretty excited back in Chicago.”
In her interview on Warriors Sound, Scott said she had been adamant about featuring Murphy as much as she could in Monday’s broadcast. But for Murphy, she wants Scott to take the wheel while she does what she enjoys most.
“I love working radio because from an analyst standpoint you’re just getting in and getting out,” explained Murphy of her in-game analysis role. “The play-by-play drives that thing and you’re just along for the ride, and if that window’s open a little bit you’re going to pop a little comment in. But you’re just trying to help describe that action.”
And finally, 95.7 The Game will have Whitley Sandretto present at the game as the on-site reporter. She has covered the Warriors in her current role since 2018.
This is a dream come true for everyone involved, including Smothers. When asked what she would tell her 11-year-old self about working the sports industry, she answered: “Your goal is greater than your struggle. Your love for sports will take you places you have only dreamt about. And that the skills and abilities you will obtain will be the keys to a successful future.”
Because of their collective love for sports, all four women are set to unite on Monday when they blaze a new path for the Warriors on the franchise’s groundbreaking broadcast. To hear them in action, tune-in on 95.7 The Game and the Warriors Radio Network, or listen via the Warriors Mobile App, at 6:30 p.m.