By Jennifer Roback
Elizabeth "Beth" Mowins, 54, has worked as a play-by-play announcer and sports journalist for ESPN, CBS, and Marquee Sports Network since graduating with her master's degree from Syracuse University in 1990.
On December 3, 2021, the New York native made history by becoming the first woman to call play-by-play for a regular-season NBA game on ESPN, the same company she has worked for since 1994.
"Thanks so much to @ATLHawks and @sixers for such a warm welcome," Mowins wrote on Twitter following the game. "Always a pleasure to work with my terrific team @ESPNNBA and call a dramatic finish as well!
Friday's game was also not the first time that Mowins' name ended up in the sports history books. Back in 2017, she became the first woman to call a national broadcast of an NFL game after doing play-by-play for a Denver Broncos-Los Angeles Chargers "Monday Night Football" matchup.
According to her ESPN bio, Mowins' primary assignments include men’s and women’s college sports and she is often seen calling Saturday games during the fall with Anthony Becht and Rocky Boiman.
Throughout the course of her career, she has called NCAA Championships games for multiple sports, including basketball, softball, soccer and volleyball. She has been the voice of the Women’s College World Series for over 20 years.
Prior to her start in sports journalism, Mowins was a collegiate athlete at Lafayette College where she captained the varsity basketball team.
During her time there, she was a three-time all-conference selection and 1,000-point scorer, according to her bio, and has since been inducted into the Lafayette College Maroon Club Hall of Fame as well as the Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame.