Stephenson, an NBC Sports reporter and Olympic Games correspondent, joins President Connie Ledoux Book on the latest episode of “鶹Ƶ Beyond the Bricks” to discuss her dynamic career in sports media and the values that continue to guide her work.
Zora Stephenson ’15 joins the latest episode of the “鶹Ƶ Beyond the Bricks” podcast to reflect on how her experiences as a journalism major laid the groundwork for a broadcasting career that has taken her from local newsrooms to covering international athletic events.
In the episode, she shares what it’s like reporting from some of the world’s biggest stages — including the Olympics — and how storytelling remains at the heart of everything she does.
“We’re humans at the end of the day,” Stephenson said during the conversation. “Yes, these are larger-than-life athletes, whether it’s in the NBA or Simone Biles doing gymnastics, but they’re humans with great triumph and things that they care about. They’ve all been through something — and so that’s how you connect them to the viewer.”
Stephenson also discusses her path from local news to becoming a sideline and digital reporter for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
“It’s a great example of preparation meeting opportunity, and you have to have a little luck,” says Stephenson. “I started in local news and started doing sports on the side. I would call D2 games, and…I taught my husband how to use a camera. I would just send my tape out to everyone I knew, and then the Milwaukee Bucks called. That job changed everything for me.”
In 2021, Stephenson became the first woman to handle play-by-play responsibilities for the franchise in its 53-year history, with the Bucks going on to win the NBA Championship later that year.
“I just hadn’t seen anyone that looked like me doing (play-by-play). It’s hard to go after something when you don’t necessarily have a lot of examples. What’s amazing is there are more and more examples of women doing play by play every single year.”
Stephenson, who served as team captain on the women’s basketball team when she was a student-athlete, also credits 鶹Ƶ with instilling the confidence and versatility needed to thrive in high-pressure, fast-moving environments.
Learn more about the podcast and listen to the episode here.
鶹Ƶ the podcast
Produced by the Office of University Advancement, in partnership with the Office of the President, “鶹Ƶ Beyond the Bricks” features engaging conversations with alumni, faculty, staff and parents who are making an impact in their fields. New episodes are released monthly to help the 鶹Ƶ community stay connected and inspired.