Perhaps the most extraordinary part of basketball is its organic nature. Thousands of variations of styles, techniques, daring, composure, and strategy whirl the uniqueness that connects the game. Even with only ten players on the field at any one time, an indefinite number of things can happen, even the same action repeated hundreds of times.
Is there a game that more deeply conveys humanity and personality without even a spoken word?
The range of outcomes determined by human decision making is an art form in itself. Some find beauty in contemporary art, while others find it when there are misunderstandings about defensive coverage and the team’s ability to scramble and problem solve to the limit.
Few in and around sports bring the gravitas that Andraya Carter brings daily to ESPN as an analyst and commentator in every basketball capacity.
In an incredibly complex and detailed game, Carter sets the standard with her precise distribution of plays and ability to impart knowledge through broadcasting. Honest X’s & O’s in digestible form, yet with passion and excitement. You know, the kind, the exact mixture of enthusiasm and wisdom that you remember with your favorite teachers.
“A lot of people talk to me about being in different places and how I can do it, but for me, I think I can do it because, everywhere I go, no one has asked me to be anything other than myself…my passion and the way I see It’s the same game,” Carter says.
At just the age of 29, Carter has solidified herself as one of the game’s premier broadcasters, and while her rise has been rapid, it has been her journey to get to this point.
She was ESPN’s 21st-ranked senior player of 2012 and the highest-ranked guard in the state of Georgia. Carter made an immediate impact on the Tennessee Volunteers, starting her first five career games before a shoulder injury cut short her freshman season. Carter made the SEC All-Freshman Team the following year after a medical default jersey exemption and went on to have a productive career with the Volunteers for the next two seasons while struggling with injuries.
“I had shoulder surgery my freshman year, but tore my ACL the senior season of high school, and then had two more surgeries on the same knee. Long story short, my freshman season (2013-14), I tore my meniscus at the beginning of the year, but I I was playing really well, and I didn’t want to stop, so I played all season on that rip. At the end of the season, when they looked at it again, they were like, ‘Whoa, it got so bad at a rate we didn’t expect,’ I’m not sure if it was It’s hard. He was playing,” says Carter.
The play on her knee the following season was even more challenging, as the cartilage in her left knee was mostly gone, effectively playing bone on bone. She eventually retired from the game after her redshirt rookie season.
“When I looked back on my life, my career was crippled. Maybe I would be lucky if I got into the right team, but I didn’t think I wanted to fulfill my career by being overseas or moving from team to team, which is what it looked like it would be like for me,” Carter says. : “If I were honest with myself.”
Giving up the game as an athlete was a tough decision for Carter, but one she’ll make again.
Getting into the gym to work on her offensive game and skills while she was constantly recovering from injury was challenging. Playing and practicing through knee pain was uncomfortable.
Her struggles with the injury taught her invaluable lessons that have borne fruit in her media career. During her senior season, Carter led the SEC in total steals and steals per game. Defense was a clear strength for Carter.
They were durable, had great hand-eye coordination, possessed tremendous lateral speed, and were aggressive. Covering plenty of ground, Carter dodged and slid around screens to send ball handlers right where they came from, routinely putting in a clinic for defensive consistency.
I had never seen Carter’s tape so I went down the rabbit hole writing this, and man, was she defending it. Enjoy watching her defend current W players in the clips above!
“Pushing and being uncomfortable is something I always knew I could do. Playing to my strengths is something I knew I could always do. Defense was my strength in college, and now honest analysis of the game, weaknesses and foul points…that’s my strength,” he says. says Carter.
“Playing to your strengths while working on your weaknesses and pushing through your discomfort, that’s something my basketball career has really taught me.”
In 2017, Carter was calling basketball games online for ESPN3. After exchanging emails with Pat Lorre, vice president of production at ESPN, Carter gained entry.
If she can make it to the SEC Championship, Lowry can make some time to meet. the only problem; She did not have a media pass.
Carter’s friend, and mentor, Maria Taylor, came in the purse and gave Carter her credentials to enter and identify Lori. Carter spent her first night in Atlanta asleep in her car before stumbling onto a couch in a friend’s hotel room the next day.
A 5-minute meeting turned into an hour-long conversation between Carter and Laurie, and Laurie invited her to watch games together in the ESPN production van the next day. Laurie bombarded her with questions all day. What does Carter think of this player? How did this work? What was it called?
That day, Lowery made an offer to Carter “Next season, I’ll give you two games on TV, and if you do well, maybe I’ll give you more,” says Carter.
“That season, two turned into 10, 10 turned into more, and now here we go,” Carter says with a smile of pride.
Carter’s encounter with Laurie foreshadowed her future as a color analyst. Collaboration with production teams found her groove both within the game and during studio demos. One of her early producers started asking her what clips she wanted to pull, and the spark was fully lit.
“Hey“After I had that dynamic, where I would talk about what I’m most passionate about and that conveys what’s best on screen anyway, it just started flowing from there,” says Carter.
As she started getting the plays she asked for, she noticed her energy was higher. I came across it more vividly and vividly. Carter has found her place as one of the best analysts in sports simply by being herself and playing to her strengths.
She credits the people around her who helped her by working as an entrepreneur and freelancer; The aforementioned Taylor helped Carter get a foot in the door. Caroline Beck has always been in Carter’s corner, and the duo enjoy amazing synergy on TV. Carter mentions Rebecca Lupo and Ellie Duncan as other people she thanks.
Lachina calls Robinson “The Rock”.
Robinson helped her through the most trying times of her media career last year. Carter spent hours driving, and her sleep at night was diminished by taking on multiple jobs, including a full-time job as an Orange Theory fitness instructor. She had no intention of giving up, but the thought of leaving Orange Theory only crossed her mind.
“There was a time, it must have been God this past March, that I was driving back and forth from Charlotte to Atlanta, because I had shows, and I had matches, but I also had to practice seasons. I remember calling LaChina in tears, because I was So tired, do you know how to get so tired that you get emotional?
She said to me, someone told her, “The person who can be uncomfortable the longest will be the most successful.”
She said it to me, and I was fine, I just have to keep pushing and keep going. “It wasn’t two or three months until I got a full-time contract,” says Carter.
“I feel the effort of agglomeration, knowledge, And the wisdom of all my teachers. I’ve had so much support on this crazy journey so far, it feels like it would be impossible for me to be helpless,” Carter continues.
Watching them now and the imprint they have on the game of basketball, it’s almost impossible to imagine the game without them. A recent member of the 40 Under 40: Rising Stars of Women’s Basketball, Carter has positioned herself at the forefront of the game by being herself, bringing enthusiasm, and providing in-depth and honest analysis.
WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes a column for WNBA WNBA.com All season long and can be reached on Twitter at @tweet. The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.