Jemele Hill has pushed back against a growing debate over how the WNBA is covered on national television.

Hill responded to former NBA reporter Ric Bucher by using sports journalism diversity statistics to counter claims that national broadcasts lack "different opinions" due to an overwhelming presence of women.

“Latest stats: — 83 percent of sports editors are white men — 75 percent of assistant sports editors are white men — 82 percent of columnists are white men — 67 percent of sports anchors are white men — 68 percent of sports analysts are white men — 65 percent of sports producers are white men,” Hill wrote on X. “C’mon, Ric. This is deeply unserious.”

The dispute, to which Hill answered as per The Spun, started on Bucher's podcast, On The Ball, where the former ESPN NBA analyst Bucher questioned why the league's national studio shows on ESPN and NBC lean so heavily on female hosts and analysts.

"Why are all the color analysts and studio hosts women?" Bucher asked.

Bucher argued that having panels filled only with women creates a broadcast that sounds too similar, missing genuine debate and opposing views.

"Women have served in a variety of positions on national NBA broadcasts. Why shouldn't there be diversity on national WNBA broadcasts? What are the networks afraid of?" He added.

He described the current coverage as 'safe and monotone and cookie-cutter,' especially when tough topics arise.

His go-to example was the officiating debate around DiJonai Carrington's foul on Sophie Cunningham. He felt the studio analysts tiptoed around the play instead of calling it out directly.

"All of it feels like a girls’ club," he added. "The media protecting the league from real scrutiny or critique. I’ll ask again: What are they afraid of? Players can’t take it? That critiquing a woman in public is no way to treat one?"

Meanwhile, Hill used her stats to show that white men still dominate almost every single area. It proved that women are far from running the entire industry.

But Bucher was not just asking about who works across the news overall. He was asking whether the actual tone on WNBA broadcasts has become too soft and protective during controversial on-court moments.

Hill's response, however, left that part of Bucher's argument unanswered.

Elle Duncan says the WNBA has become a difficult place to cover

The debate over WNBA media did not end with Bucher and Hill.

ESPN veteran Elle Duncan has also spoken openly about the way the league is being covered, although her concern comes from a different place.

Speaking on WHYY's Sports In America podcast, Duncan recalled the excitement surrounding the league's growth before the conversation shifted.

But that tone surrounding the league has changed quickly.

"And very quickly over the course of the last three years, it’s just turned into … a sticking point for sides to continue to politicize things that shouldn’t be, to be as divisive as possible," Duncan explained.

"Right now, the WNBA is the most toxic space to cover, and that’s incredibly frustrating and sad."

So, is all this noise a bad sign for the WNBA's future? Legendary basketball coach and Hall of Famer Dawn Staley does not think so.

Speaking during Hall of Fame weekend, Staley offered a hopeful perspective:

"All the big pieces and all the things that are happening from a racial standpoint, from an officiating standpoint, are great. They're great because the NBA went through it -- the NBA went through all of it," Staley said, per ESPN.

"So this is just badges of honor. Will we get through it? We will get through it."

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi