Malika Andrews has been named as the replacement of Rachel Nichols for ESPN's sideline coverage of the NBA Finals after controversy embroiled the latter. A leaked phone conversation showed Nichols in a bad light after she allegedly made awkward remarks regarding her female Black colleague Maria Taylor. On Tuesday, July 6, the sports media house made the announcement. In a statement, it confirmed, “We believe this is the best decision for all concerned in order to keep the focus on the NBA Finals.”
Seasoned reporter Nichols in a 2020 call with Adam Mendelsohn and Rich Paul showed her frustration when Taylor was selected to host the NBA coverage that year. She also alleged that Taylor was given the job because of her race. She said, “I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world — she covers football, she covers basketball. If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away.”
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Who is Malika Andrews? ESPN's only Black female NBA reporter to replace Rachel Nichols
Nichols has now apologized for her problematic statement. On Monday, July 5, her daily program, ‘The Jump’, she said, “So the first thing they teach in journalism school is don’t be the story. And I don’t plan to break that rule today or distract from a fantastic Finals. But I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN, how deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt — particularly Maria Taylor — and how grateful I am to be part of this outstanding team.” But ESPN still replaced her with Andrews.
Is Malika Andrews married?
Andrews is a 26-year-old sports journalist and reporter from Oakland, California. In October 2018, she was employed by ESPN as its online NBA writer. However, about two years later, she made her debut as the network’s youngest sideline reporter for a broadcast during the 2020 NBA Bubble.
According to reports, Andrews was named in the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ list in the sports industry for 2021. Regarding her relationship status, reports have said that the Portland University graduate is not married yet. However, some reports stated that some years ago, there were rumors that she was married because of a ring on her wedding finger. The African-American woman has also not revealed very much about her dating life. However, unlike her personal life, her professional world is an open book.
Before joining ESPN, Andrews -- who celebrates her birthday on January 28 -- worked for the Chicago Tribune for a year. She also has experience working alongside James Reston in the sports department at The New York Times. Besides sports journalism, Andrews is known for covering the impact of wildfires in Sonoma Country, California, on the equine industry during fall 2017. Her Forbes bio says, “She advocates internally at ESPN for more nuanced coverage of race and gender topics.”
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