Stephanie Ready is no stranger to firsts in basketball. She was the first full-time female recruiting assistant on any D-I men’s team, and later the first female head coach in a men’s pro sport, leading the former NBA D-League Greenville Groove. As the ’15-16 NBA season gets set to tip off, Ready is set for another first -- becoming the first full-time female game analyst. She will join play-by-play announcer Eric Collins and analyst Dell Curry to call Hornets games on FS Southeast. Ready took some time to chat with THE DAILY about how she’s prepping to be in the NBA’s lone three-person booth, which females in media she’s watching and more.
Q: How excited are you to get started this season?
Ready: I’m always excited this time of year. But this year in particular, because of my role, I’m thrilled. This is what I’ve been waiting for my entire television career. I’ve always wanted to be a full-time game analyst and I’ve been lucky that I’ve been afforded the opportunity to do it in the past if Dell had to miss a game. And I’d do some college games when I could squeeze them in. This is where my passion is. I get to talk about the game. I get to explain how the game works. Talk about the intricacies and the X’s and O’s and strategy. So I’m more pumped up than usual. And this all has really been the perfect storm. Dell has been so gracious. A lot of times, people get territorial. He is the analyst. He’s been the lone analyst now for many years. A lot of people would not have been as encouraging to me as he has been during that time.
Q: Are you prepping any differently this season with the full-time gig?
Ready: To start the season, I’m preparing as I normally would, looking at offseason moves. But once games start, I’ll definitely prepare differently. I’ll watch a lot more film than I did when I was a host and sideline reporter. I prepare as an analyst like I did when I was a coach. I watch the opponents’ film. I like to know tendencies. Styles of play. Anything so you can forecast what you’re going to see on the court.
Q: The Charlotte community responded extremely positively to the return of the Hornets name last season. Now what does the club have to do keep the good will going?
Ready: The product matters. People want to see a winner out there.
Q: What female media personalities move the needle for you?
Ready: Doris Burke is always amazing. She has always done good work and I’ve worked with her a little bit in the past over at ESPN. I think that Josina Anderson is doing some great stuff. I could definitely make a lengthy list. When I was coming up, there weren’t a lot of women in these roles. Pam Oliver. Melissa Stark. But what I like the most now for women in media is that it’s no longer gimmicky -- for the ones that are good. There are still some that try to be gimmicky to get into the business. But the ones that are established and reputable -- they’re just sportscasters.
Q: What NBA business story will you be following this season?
Ready: Everyone’s going to be looking at the CBA. It affects all of us. It’s going to be interesting now with new leadership on both sides.
