Geno Auriemma, Robin Roberts to call WNBA game in celebration of 30th anniversary

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and Robin Roberts will call a WNBA game as part of the celebration of the league’s 30th season.

The pair will join veteran play-by-play commentator Beth Mowins as Dallas Wings face the New York Liberty on July 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Former UConn standouts Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd will all be playing in the game.

Roberts and Auriemma called ESPN’s first WNBA game on June 23, 1997. They return to the broadcast booth together to commemorate one of the most significant milestones in league history. Auriemma has 12 NCAA national championships in women’s basketball at UConn. Roberts was an ESPN anchor before moving to “Good Morning America.”

“I’ve been fortunate to spend most of my life around women’s basketball, and when Robin and I called that first WNBA game, it felt like the beginning of something that could change the sport forever,” Auriemma said. “Thirty seasons later, it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch this league become what it is. Being able to reunite with Robin, a broadcasting legend and lifelong supporter of our game, and celebrate this milestone is a reminder of how far the game has come.”

Roberts is also an executive producer of ESPN Originals’ upcoming docuseries Setting the Tempo, which follows the launch of the WNBA’s newest franchise, the Toronto Tempo.

“Coming back to ESPN to call a WNBA game feels like coming home,” Roberts said. “When Geno and I sat together for that first ESPN WNBA broadcast in 1997, we knew we were witnessing something special. … It’s incredible to reflect on how far the league has come and the bright future ahead.”