{"id":363239,"date":"2025-12-22T07:16:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T07:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/363239\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T07:16:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T07:16:22","slug":"isis-youngs-vision-voice-and-vibe-are-elevating-the-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/363239\/","title":{"rendered":"Isis Young’s Vision, Voice and Vibe Are Elevating The Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the lead WNBA on CBS analyst, Young\u2019s passion runs deeper than being one of the most knowledgeable and engaging broadcasters in the game. Her enthusiasm is contagious\u2014during broadcasts, she\u2019s having fun, and it shows in the way she breaks down plays, shares stories, and highlights the game\u2019s nuances from her perspective as a former Division I player.<\/p>\n

Young, who adds the perfect blend of empathy and humility to her broadcasts, also played professionally in Germany, Greece, and Australia.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy broadcasting style is very similar to how I played,\u201d Young told The Next. \u201cIf you ask those who had the chance to watch me play when I played in college at Syracuse and Siena for my last year, where I was among the top 10 in the country and threes made per game, I played the game with a lot of passion because I enjoyed it. <\/p>\n

\u201cI came to understand, probably through injuries, that this day is not promised, so I should enjoy it. With my games, I have the same approach. I mean it. I love talking about basketball. I love the X\u2019s and O\u2019s. I love the energy. I joke around that my job isn\u2019t too serious. No one\u2019s life is in my hands. I get to talk about basketball and hopefully educate and inspire.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Young\u2019s transcendent career has soared like a rocket.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been fortunate to be part of significant broadcasting moments for women\u2019s basketball within the last four years. She was a sideline reporter for NBC\u2019s first women\u2019s college basketball game between Notre Dame and California on Nov. 12, 2022. Earlier this year, she served as the color analyst for CBS\u2019 first prime-time WNBA game broadcast between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever at the United Center.<\/p>\n

She was also part of CBS Sports Network\u2019s studio coverage of the men\u2019s Final Four in San Antonio. In addition, Young works with Yahoo! Sports as a basketball analyst and has served as a soccer analyst for the Big East on Fox.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just sometimes so cool to see hard work pay off in ways you don\u2019t specifically think about,\u201d Young said. \u201cI remember the first time that I had a chance to be a part of a historic broadcast. It was the first-ever women\u2019s college basketball game on NBC, and that was back in 2022 when I was a sideline reporter with LaChina Robinson and Zora Stephenson. I remember being a part of that and thinking, \u2018Wow, there\u2019s nothing I could have done to deserve this moment.\u2019 You know, this is just the stars aligning me working with people that believe in me, taking my craft seriously, and God dropping a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JordanJordan Kent (left) and Isis Young are CBS\u2019 lead announcing team for its WNBA coverage this season. They were on the call for CBS\u2019 historic call of the network\u2019s first primetime WNBA game on June 7, 2025, between the Fever and Sky. They will broadcast another primetime game between the Fever and Sky on August 9, 2025. (Photo credit: Isis Young)<\/p>\n

Preparation Meets Purpose<\/p>\n

Now, through her organization, Your World Media Training<\/a>, Young is determined to open doors for others just as they were opened for her while leaving a legacy of impact and empowerment. She founded the organization in 2022.<\/p>\n

Staying humble yet hungry, Young is driven not just by personal ambition but by purpose. She\u2019s committed to uplifting others through mentorship, advocacy, and her aspiration to become a go-to media training expert for college athletes.<\/p>\n

Before the prime-time lights and viral clips, there were long nights, self-doubt, and flights booked on faith. But Young knew that greatness grows when you grind behind the scenes. She called soccer matches and served as a sideline reporter on women\u2019s lacrosse broadcasts. Young also benefited from serving one year as a color analyst for the Connecticut Sun, which allowed her to build rapport with players and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes view of the intricacies of the WNBA.<\/p>\n

Those opportunities provided a solid foundation for Young to develop her voice, earn precious repetitions, and build a quality broadcasting reel.<\/p>\n

She recalls an early-career broadcast with Beth Mowins, where she wasn\u2019t prepared, especially as the game turned into a blowout. The uncomfortable silence taught her more than any classroom could.<\/p>\n

Even though the moment is now a humorous memory, that experience has fueled Young\u2019s discipline, drive, and desire to stay prepared, regardless of how the game unfolds. \u00a0That mindset proved valuable during the Sky-Fever broadcast a few weeks ago\u2014a game in which Caitlin Clark<\/a> didn\u2019t play but remained a central part of the narrative. CBS kept its cameras on Clark as she cheered, laughed, and high-fived teammates from the bench. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark\u201d is out now!<\/p>\n

Howard Megdal\u2019s newest book is here! \u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar\u201d captures both the historic nature of Clark\u2019s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re dealing with like a unicorn,\u201d Young said of Clark. \u201cThe only comparison that I think we have of it is probably on the men\u2019s side with LeBron James<\/a>. LeBron was the first star of his kind like that. I can think of games in which LeBron didn\u2019t play, and they show his reactions to things. It\u2019s a storyline we care to see, or people care to know, they want to know, especially because Caitlin hadn\u2019t missed a game during her career. Well, it was interesting just also to see a different vantage point of her on the bench.\u201d<\/p>\n

Young was happy with the historic broadcast, which drew 1.92 million viewers<\/a>, even though Clark was out with a quad injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to make sure that as the broadcast, we reflect the product on the floor,\u201d Young shared. \u201cSitting in an arena with 19,000 plus people around you screaming, and you\u2019re getting to call a game with so many storylines, there\u2019s nothing better. It just continues to solidify for me that I love my job. I love what I do. I love that I get to represent this sport, and I love that the game is growing to where we are making sure that these broadcasts are getting accurate coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"IsisIsis Young (left) has earned the respect of those inside and outside the broadcasting industry through her fashion, basketball knowledge, energy and passion she brings to games. Young is a former Division I women\u2019s basketball player. (Photo credit: Isis Young)<\/p>\n

A Broadcasting Cheat Code<\/p>\n

In many ways, Young is a broadcasting cheat code because not only did she earn her Master\u2019s degree from Syracuse\u2019s renowned Newhouse School of Communication, but she was also part of the first cohort of LaChina Robinson\u2019s Rising Media Stars in 2018 while still in college. Her classmates included Zora Stephenson, Andraya Carter, Shanteona Keys, and Sijia Liu. Being part of this program accelerated Young\u2019s growth and enhanced her confidence as a reporter and broadcaster.<\/p>\n

Young sharpened her skills by interviewing former Syracuse teammate and current Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes<\/a>, picking up real-world insights that no graduate program could teach. She shadowed veteran reporters, studied the craft closely, and absorbed wisdom like a sponge from seasoned professionals across the media landscape\u2014each experience shaping her voice, poise, and perspective as a rising journalist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned, and I soaked in a ton, and not just from LaChina, but from my other counterparts,\u201d Young said. \u201cThankfully, I had some of the best in the industry to learn from. Our class was bomb. I would be nowhere without my mentors, but those women became sisters in different ways at different times for me, and that has also extended throughout the years of the program. There are other classes in the program where I\u2019m closer to several people, as I may have known them before. The mentorship, learning, and sisterhood are the three things that I have to mention about that program, and it also shaped how I went forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The IX Basketball, a 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball newsroom powered by The Next
The IX Basketball<\/a>: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX Sports<\/a>. 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also helped her mindset this past year when she was a valuable member of CBS Sports Network\u2019s studio men\u2019s college basketball coverage, which was unique for Young. She was comfortable discussing Coastal Athletic Association men\u2019s basketball in the same way she was talking about Atlantic Coast Conference women\u2019s basketball.<\/p>\n

More importantly, Young\u2019s bubbly personality and key nuggets of wisdom earned her respect from viewers and colleagues. She also made people aware of critical women\u2019s basketball games and highlights that needed to be discussed during the studio shows. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBasketball is basketball to me,\u201d Young said. \u201cSo, whether it\u2019s Hannah Hidalgo<\/a> or Tyson Dagenhart. I don\u2019t care who it is; if I like your game or the game itself, I\u2019m going to be in it. I was certainly happy this year to cover more basketball, both men\u2019s and women\u2019s. It\u2019s a different challenge to have energy in the studio. Different than the games, right? There\u2019s no challenge in having energy in an arena with 19,000 people. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no challenge when it\u2019s a two-point game and it\u2019s the fourth quarter with two minutes left. But sometimes, in a studio at 2 a.m., watching the last Mountain West game, you might be struggling to find a little bit of energy on a late Thursday. Being in the studio was a goal that I set for myself very quietly. I am thankful that God blessed me with that. My relationship with CBS has been good. Covering the men\u2019s Final Four with CBS is one of the top five highlights in my career so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"IsisThrough her organization founded in 2022, Your Media World Training, Isis Young is
\ndetermined to open doors for others just as they were opened for her while leaving a legacy of impact and empowerment. (Photo credit: Isis Young)<\/p>\n

Confidence, color and community<\/p>\n

Being in the studio provided Young the perfect platform to showcase her fashion sense\u2014one that, much like her, was bright, bold, and brilliant. Vivid purples, dazzling greens, and electric pinks lit up the screen, making her impossible to miss. But it wasn\u2019t just the colors that stood out\u2014it was the energy in her voice, the ease in her delivery, and the confident cadence with which she added valuable insights. Style turned heads. Substance made her unforgettable.<\/p>\n

Young\u2019s style is intentional\u2014not just in appearance, but in principle. She proudly supports Black-owned businesses, many of which go the extra mile with thoughtful touches, like handwritten thank-you notes. She\u2019s also grounded in her South Jersey roots as she enjoys shopping locally. It\u2019s a power that Young enjoys in highlighting those companies that deserve attention. She showcases and shouts out those businesses on her social media pages.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow we walk into a room says a lot of things about us before we speak,\u201d Young said. \u201cFor me, fashion is just an extra layer of confidence. You know, if you look good, you feel good, you play good. Now, it\u2019s you look good, you feel good, you broadcast good. That\u2019s how I think about it. I have worked with Black female stylists in my career. I\u2019ve worked with several, and one thing I enjoyed was being able to pull someone else in, invest in someone who looks like me, and help them build a portfolio as well. <\/p>\n

\u201cI love the fact that I can support and invest in Black-owned businesses because I believe that there have been so many people who have invested in me that I could say they invested in me as a Black-owned business, and I\u2019m therefore trying to push it back out.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one reason why she started her media training business in the summer of 2022. Knowing she wanted to make a difference and sitting in her grandmother\u2019s living room, Young created a media training curriculum. Between her hectic announcing schedule, which included late nights in the studio, early-morning flights, and long afternoons of preparation, Young travels across the country to deliver powerful presentations designed to provide media training to athletes, coaches, and teams, as well as broadcasting coaching services for aspiring sports broadcasters.<\/p>\n

Understanding that small gestures leave a lasting impact on others, Young took pride in creating meaningful opportunities for young people by hiring 13 independent contractors to broadcast games during a major AAU event in Albany, N.Y. This gave them valuable experience and paid work in the industry, enabling them to build a portfolio and showcase it to future employers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a full-circle moment for Young, who is only doing what\u2019s in her heart.<\/p>\n

She believes in treating people the way she was once treated\u2014with encouragement, openness, and genuine care. Whether it\u2019s offering help, being a resource, or simply listening without judgment, Young strives to be a trusted presence, which is her most powerful gift. While covering a Mystics-Lynx game in Washington for CBS Sports Network last year, Young had a mentee shadow her for the entire day\u2014offering a firsthand glimpse at everything from pregame coaching press conferences to live game commentary and postgame responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to provide some guidance and some reps for young individuals who want and take the time to invest in themselves is priceless,\u201d Young said. \u201cI saw myself in all of them, and I was like, yes, like, you\u2019re hungry, and you\u2019re humble, so let\u2019s get to work. I have to thank LaChina for showing us the way because, as I told her, I wouldn\u2019t have known how to do it if I hadn\u2019t seen it on the scale that I did with her in our classroom and with five people. I am honored to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Young continues to rise as a broadcaster, she\u2019s making her mark as a trailblazer while simultaneously building community, elevating her career, and staying anchored in her purpose. Her passion, enthusiasm, and perseverance make Young a rare gem in a competitive field that demands heart, hustle, and the courage to make history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the lead WNBA on CBS analyst, Young\u2019s passion runs deeper than being one of the most knowledgeable…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363240,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[178987,99,11823,434],"class_list":["post-363239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-isis-young","tag-sports","tag-syracuse","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}