For fans who have long demanded that women’s basketball receive the same level of dedicated, substantive media attention as its men’s counterpart, March 17 brought a significant development.
ESPN and Omaha Productions, the media company founded by NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, officially launched Chiney Today, a new digital show hosted by retired WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike — a figure whose career has been defined by breaking barriers in sports media.
The show airs twice weekly and is the latest platform for someone ESPN itself has described as “one of the few national voices covering men’s and women’s basketball at the highest level” and “one of the most respected and influential voices in sports media,” according to a press release published the same day.
It positions Ogwumike not as a niche commentator relegated to women’s sports segments, but as a singular voice with authority across the entire basketball ecosystem. It’s exactly the kind of structural shift in media treatment that women’s sports advocates have been pushing for.
Chiney Ogwumike Is No Stranger to Historic FirstsOgwumike’s résumé speaks to why this show carries weight beyond a typical programming announcement.
In 2020, she became the first Black woman to host a national, daily sports-talk radio show with Chiney and Golic Jr., according to her ESPN bio.
That milestone alone was a crack in a media landscape where national sports-talk platforms have historically been dominated by male voices, particularly in the daily format where hosts shape the conversation around the biggest stories in sports.
She is also one of the first commentators to cover the sport while simultaneously playing in the WNBA — a dual role that gave her a perspective few analysts in any sport can claim.
On the court, her credentials are just as formidable: she is a former No. 1 overall pick and a two-time WNBA All-Star.
Off the court, she served as vice president of the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA), a role that placed her at the intersection of labor advocacy, league policy, and the fight for equitable treatment of women athletes.
All of that experience now flows into Chiney Today.
What to Expect From ‘Chiney Today’Perhaps the most telling detail about Chiney Today for women’s sports fans is its stated editorial mission.
This is not being positioned as a women’s basketball show or a men’s basketball show. It is being framed as a basketball show — full stop.
“Basketball has always been so much bigger than final buzzers and box scores – it’s culture, community and global connection. I have been blessed to witness the game from every angle; on the court, in the studio, and even as a fan,” Ogwumike said, per the press release.
“Chiney Today is about bringing all of that together, covering the entire basketball landscape in one place. We’re not only breaking down the game at the highest level, we’re also getting into everything that gives hoops its heartbeat,” she added.
For fans who have watched women’s basketball coverage get siloed into separate segments, occasional features, or afterthought mentions on existing programs, a show that explicitly promises to treat the full spectrum of basketball — men’s and women’s — as a single, interconnected world represents a notable editorial commitment.
Chiney Ogwumike Is a Basketball Advocate With a PlatformIn an interview with People, also published March 17, Ogwumike described her show as “a home for everyone who truly loves hoops.”
She also made clear that she intends to use the platform not just for celebration but for accountability. She told People that she wants to continue being a voice for her fellow athletes, but also use her platform to be critical when the situation calls for it.
“I’ve been fighting for this opportunity for a long time,” Ogwumike told the outlet. “And I don’t take this for granted because I know I’m doing this for the players and for the locker rooms that I was in and for the moment that we’re in.”
This is not someone parachuting into sports media for a second career. Her authority comes from lived experience inside the league, inside the labor negotiations, and inside the media apparatus that shapes public perception of the sport.
ESPN’s Investment in Chiney Ogwumike and What It SignalsESPN Senior Vice President of Sports Studio & Entertainment Mike Foss alluded to Ogwumike’s “ability to connect leagues, players, and audiences through both insight and authenticity.”
He said he looks forward to watching Ogwumike use her platform to “lead thoughtful, dynamic conversations that reflect how fans experience the game today.”
The emphasis on connecting “leagues” — plural — and on reflecting “how fans experience the game today” suggests an awareness at the network level that the audience for basketball has evolved.
Women’s basketball fans are not a separate niche demographic; they are the basketball audience.
The partnership with Omaha Productions adds another dimension to the launch, pairing Ogwumike with a production company that has demonstrated its reach in the sports media space.
Episodes of Chiney Today will be available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all digital show and podcast platforms.
