However, Robinson\u2019s most transformational work has been behind the scenes, serving others, opening doors, and being a guiding light. Now, in this season of her life, everything she\u2019s done in creating opportunities for others is being rewarded.<\/p>\n
After announcing her departure from ESPN after 16 years, she signed a multi-year deal with NBC Sports<\/a>, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios<\/a> earlier this year. She\u2019s one of the faces of both companies\u2019 WNBA coverage, where the versatile Robinson toggles between studio host and game analyst.<\/p>\n For Robinson, it was alignment intersecting with purpose. Working with her agent, Nicole Lynn, throughout her career, Robinson always had a non-exclusive clause in her contract, which allowed her to work simultaneously with\u00a0NBC and Prime Video while being employed at ESPN.<\/p>\n \u201cMy 16 years at ESPN were a dream,\u201d Robinson told The IX Sports over Zoom. \u201cI never imagined that I would have the opportunity to cover women\u2019s basketball at the highest level, and I owe so much gratitude to the leadership there, my colleagues, who I will always miss, but also appreciate, and just everyone who believed in this crazy dream that I had, that I could make a career out of covering the sport that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n She decided it was\u00a0the right time for a move \u2014 not out of dissatisfaction with ESPN, but because the\u00a0WNBA media landscape was expanding, and she wanted to be with networks that had already demonstrated a\u00a0long\u2011term, serious investment\u00a0in women\u2019s basketball.<\/p>\n It helped that Robinson had relationships with Amina Hussein\u00a0at Prime, a former ESPN colleague, and Elyse Noonan\u00a0and\u00a0Rebecca Chatman\u00a0at NBC. They specifically wanted Robinson at the forefront of their WNBA coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a chance to experience how these networks do business and what their leadership styles are like, and how they treat a property like women\u2019s basketball,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cI came to the end of my contract, and it just felt like the right time for a change. Looking at the WNBA media landscape right now, entering a new media deal means more networks and more platforms covering the sport. And in 2021, I decided to leave college basketball for several reasons, but one of them was that I wanted to focus solely on the WNBA.\u201d<\/p>\n The IX Daily: Six different women\u2019s sports in your inbox every week! Amplifying women<\/p>\n Focusing on the WNBA has enabled Robinson to prepare a new generation of women to inherit her excellence, add more seats to the table, and showcase their talent. This is how leadership reproduces itself: by developing others and creating a lasting impact.<\/p>\n Inspiring others with her authenticity and intentionality allowed Robinson to enjoy this year\u2019s WNBA Draft from the comfort of her couch. Relaxing at home with her husband, Jonathan, Robinson couldn\u2019t stop smiling.<\/p>\n It was the culmination of two decades of blood, sweat, tears and belief manifesting in ways only Robinson imagined when she committed herself to creating opportunities, building tables, and leading the way.<\/p>\n \u201cAlong this journey, I started to figure out that there was a through line in everything that I was passionate about, everything that I believed in, and everything I wanted to spend my time doing, and it was always around amplifying women,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cI noticed in my early days of covering WNBA and women\u2019s basketball, where I was often the only person (of color) in the room and definitely the only woman of color in the room. I wanted to know where the people are who are telling the stories of these incredible women athletes were.\u201d<\/p>\n Fast forward to the WNBA Draft, Robinson\u2019s presence and influence were everywhere thanks to her pioneering Rising Media Stars (RMS) program, which has been a game-changer in the media industry. Founded in 2011 by Robinson and Kevin Nixon, RMS is a unique program <\/a>designed to help women of color gain positions in sports broadcasting and expand opportunities in the media space.<\/p>\n Andraya Carter was on the ESPN set<\/a>, delivering her usual top-tier analysis with a side of her trademark humor. Then Robinson picked up her phone and began scrolling on social media. Her feed made her proud, too, as she saw Dominique Patrick, Shanteona Keys, and Marke Freeman reporting live while generating content from the WNBA Draft\u2019s exclusive orange carpet.<\/p>\n Taking it a step further, Alexis Davis was covering the WNBA Draft for the Dallas Wings. Rachel Smith was writing for The Gist. Cayla Sweezy was working for Andscape. Overall, eight of the 25 Rising Media Star alums were at the WNBA Draft.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have moved on from us opening a door for these women to be at the draft and have that experience, to them getting hired,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cI was beaming with joy because they were there together, and they were supporting each other, encouraging each other and cheering each other on. That is a dynamic that I pray every woman gets to experience in their career at some point, especially in a male-dominated field, of walking by someone who just gives you a nod or somebody fixing your dress when it gets out of place, or just saying that was a great hit.\u201d<\/p>\n While they weren\u2019t all at the WNBA Draft, many other RMS alums are making their mark in sports broadcasting. Isis Young is the lead analyst<\/a> on CBS\u2019s WNBA coverage, Zora Stephenson is NBC\u2019s lead NBA<\/a> sideline reporter, Kendall Lanier is working as a sports anchor in Nashville, and Symone Stanley\u2019s TikTok content has made her one of the nation\u2019s best sports influencers and content creators. That\u2019s just a small sample.<\/p>\n Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women\u2019s Sports Daily \u2018A two-million miler\u2019<\/p>\n Long before the Olympic assignments and national studio shows, Robinson was grinding on the margins of the business. She recalls sometimes working at Southern Mississippi for a broadcast one night and then being at Mississippi Valley State the next day. Working four games a week for multiple networks while juggling flights, invoices, and tip times on her own was part of the life she happily chose.<\/p>\n She believed the work would yield huge rewards even if others thought otherwise. The bright side of all the traveling, Robinson shared, is that she is \u201cnow a two-million miler.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson didn\u2019t land her first full-time contract \u2014 with any sense of guaranteed work \u2014 until a decade into her broadcasting career. In the meantime, she, like so many around the W, often did the work \u201cfor little to nothing,\u201d choosing the league\u2019s mission and its athletes over the safer, more lucrative paths that were available to her.<\/p>\n She looked up to the likes of Carolyn Peck, Robin Roberts, Christy Winters-Scott, and Debbie Antonelli as she climbed the broadcasting ladder. When things got hard, Robinson always had her family to lean on. She remembers being in tears sometimes when reaching out to her parents in those vulnerable and challenging times.<\/p>\n \u201cI owe a lot to my parents, and I\u2019ve had to call them a lot throughout my career when it got lonely,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cThere were moments where I felt like I was being treated differently because I looked different from everyone else that was covering the sport, or I was being treated differently because I wasn\u2019t a successful athlete, but I was working 10 times as hard to get that next opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cI was told that I wasn\u2019t going to be needed for a specific broadcast because they already had a woman of color. They\u2019ve had to keep me on track because there\u2019s nothing like the pressure of being a Black woman in this industry. After all, you\u2019re constantly told that there\u2019s not a place for you, and you feel like you have to be perfect. \u2026 I\u2019m grateful that they encouraged me to stay the course through those challenging times.\u201d<\/p>\n Money and prestige were never Robinson\u2019s motivation. She always trusted that if the work was superb, everything else would follow. There were times when she turned down higher-profile opportunities because she believed the path she was walking aligned with her passion and purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cI could have easily gone to cover the NBA or the NFL, because there was more money, more prestige, and more influence and opportunity,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cHowever, the opportunity in my eyes was to take the road less traveled and tell the most important and impactful stories to a greater society. As we amplify these women athletes and the WNBA, a predominantly Black league, we are giving them visibility they would not otherwise have.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are giving the minority a voice in a world that is telling them to be silent. So, it was more about the mission of impact than just covering sports, and that\u2019s where my belief in the product came from. That\u2019s why it was WNBA or bust because I knew that even when the game was over, these women had something to say that would change the world, and they have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n She experienced the hard times so that others wouldn\u2019t have to. Now, she\u2019s enjoying the fruits of her labor.<\/p>\n Ripple effect<\/p>\n Robinson methodically built her own pipeline of elite talent, allowing her to curate a legacy. Now, they are meticulously carrying others forward.<\/p>\n Young hosts a retreat for aspiring broadcasters at her New Jersey home. She\u2019s also the Founder & CEO of Your World Enterprises<\/a>, an organization committed to media training. It\u2019s an extension of the foundation Robinson built, one rooted in the belief that success carries a responsibility to reach back, pour into others, and lift them along.<\/p>\n Keys, a member of the inaugural Rising Media Stars class, served as the on-site leader for recent RMS cohorts at the Women\u2019s Final Four, passing along the lessons she once received herself.<\/p>\n Robinson created a current strong enough to move others, who are now generating waves of their own while shaking up the industry like a tsunami.<\/p>\n \u201cLaChina\u2019s got a forest of roots and trees just growing and blossoming,\u201d Carter told The IX Sports during a phone call. \u201cI hope she takes time one day soon to appreciate all that she\u2019s done because it\u2019s incredible. There\u2019s like the Pat Summitt tree, or there\u2019s the degrees of separation with coaches, right? Like we\u2019re going to look back and see the degrees of separation in sports broadcasting, and\u00a0LaChina\u00a0will be at the top.\u201d<\/p>\n In the affectionate spirit of entertainer James Brown, who was dubbed \u201cthe hardest working man in show business,\u201d Robinson is the hardest working woman in women\u2019s basketball.<\/p>\n In a society that wants Black women to fit neatly into a narrative or box, Robinson stands out without having to sacrifice anything. She\u2019s trashed the notion that she should be confined, instead operating on her terms and powerfully creating space for everybody through her fierce strength and determination to blaze trails.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone told me you can\u2019t have it all,\u201d veteran broadcaster Angel Gray shared with The IX Basketball during a phone call. \u201cYou have to pick and choose and like what you want to sacrifice because it is hard.\u00a0We\u2019re on the road all the time and pulled in so many different directions. \u2026 But she\u2019s shown us that you can absolutely have it all. I mean, it can\u2019t be all at once, obviously, but you also have to navigate what\u2019s prioritized.<\/p>\n \u201cSociety has shown us, as of late, that it doesn\u2019t have to be one thing; it can be a myriad of things, right? And one simple thing, of like, I\u2019m a broadcaster, doesn\u2019t have to be the only cup that is filled, and what I\u2019ve appreciated learning from her is the amount of time and sacrifice that is put into, well, if I am trying to be a mentor, then how am I going to create this on a scale where I can do it and get funding and be an example of how business is working.\u201d<\/p>\n Through her relentless work ethic and pleasant personality, Robinson created spaces for others through her passion, persistence, and positivity. Her impact stretches beyond simply women\u2019s basketball broadcasting. She has titles, but they don\u2019t do her justice. She\u2019s been so much more.<\/p>\n In addition to being a broadcaster, Robinson is a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, mentor, creator, advocate, advisor, entrepreneur and leader. In quieter moments away from the camera, Robinson has also encouraged, provided a shoulder to cry on, and been a welcoming smile for those who need it.<\/p>\n \u2018Rare Gems\u2019 is out now! If you enjoy Megdal\u2019s coverage of women\u2019s basketball every Wednesday at The IX Sports, you will love \u201cRare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.\u201d <\/p>\n An aura of excellence<\/p>\n Young remembers specifically the blue dress Robinson wore when she first met her as a student-athlete competing for Syracuse. Carter recalls the various acts of generosity.<\/p>\n \u201cA couple of years ago, I went through a really hard time with my family and had to move my siblings into a new place,\u201d Carter said. \u201cLaChina\u00a0just pulled up to the house on her own, with her car, and helped me load and unload boxes. She\u2019s just always there. She will help anybody. She sees the good and the potential in everyone. She\u2019s always willing to reach back and bring people with her or reach down and bring people up with her. She\u2019s a giver \u2014 so loving, so caring. She\u2019s a light.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShe was always so kind to me when I was a player,\u201d Carter recalled. \u201cWhen my career ended, she was a mentor to me first and then became a best friend.\u00a0LaChina\u00a0is the only reason I ever tried sideline reporting, which opened a ton of doors for me. Later, I remember calling her in tears because my first sideline reporting opportunity was the G League Winter Showcase. It was so long ago, and I didn\u2019t know G League terminology. I didn\u2019t know what I was doing. I called her from Vegas. I had to use my own credit card to book the hotel, and I almost maxed it out. I was so stressed, and she was so calming, so reassuring, just the way that she just knew how to build me up.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Stephenson never forgot Robinson\u2019s initial social media handle of \u201cLives2Inspire.\u201d While Young, Stephenson, and Carter were members of the inaugural cohort of her Rising Stars Media, each has unique memories of Robinson.<\/p>\n During women\u2019s college basketball in a wow moment at the inaugural Shamrock Classic in Washington, D.C., between Notre Dame and Illinois in 2023, Stephenson and Robinson served as the broadcast team with Young working as a sideline reporter for NBC Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first memory of LaChina is like so many of us with a dream. I emailed LaChina looking for advice, looking for the blueprint on how to find our way,\u201d Stephenson told The IX Basketball through email. \u201cIn true\u00a0LaChina\u00a0fashion, she always gets back to you and makes time. \u2026 Our relationship then evolved from mentee\/mentor to friends, and now family.<\/p>\n \u201cWe even get to be co-workers, and that blows my mind. Like how? She is one of my greatest advocates and supporters. She believed in me before I believed in myself. She was the very first person ever to suggest I try play-by-play. I thought she was nuts. Being able to call games in the play-by-play chair is a big part of why I have my job. The\u00a0LaChina\u00a0effect.\u201d<\/p>\n Storytelling roots<\/p>\n Journalism and storytelling have been in Robinson\u2019s blood even before she was born in 1980. Her father started a Black-owned newspaper called \u201cSporting Life\u201d in Boston. His goal was to make sure that black and brown communities stayed informed on the things that were happening and that their voices were amplified. During the Zoom call, Robinson held up one of the newspaper\u2019s issues.<\/p>\n Family has always been an anchor for Robinson.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t old enough to really understand the impact of what my dad was doing,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cIt was clearly ingrained in me that I had a voice and that I needed to use it to communicate whatever I was passionate about to others. My dad was the one that encouraged me to start (Rising Media Stars) because he used to say, \u2018I\u2019m glad you\u2019re successful, and you\u2019re doing all the things you love, but what are you doing for others?\u2019 Even though I\u2019ve always met young women for coffee if they were interested in the industry, or let someone shadow me, I wouldn\u2019t have made this level of commitment to starting a nonprofit without my dad\u2019s encouragement.<\/p>\n \u201cStill, my parents have always been activists and advocates for what they believe in, very vocal. One of the quotes my parents used to instill in me a lot while I was growing up was: \u2018Stand for something, or you\u2019ll fall for anything.\u2019 They\u2019ve always encouraged me to choose my own direction. My parents have meant everything to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Standing 6\u20194 when she was just 14 years old, Robinson started playing basketball at her mother\u2019s encouragement. Aside from the obvious height advantage her daughter possessed at the time, Robinson\u2019s mom knew that basketball was a pathway to a scholarship to attend college, which unlocked doors to economic mobility and opportunities beyond her wildest dreams.<\/p>\n Once Robinson experienced her first elbow to the ribs, grabbed her first rebound or scored her first basket, she was hooked.<\/p>\n Now, Robinson has evolved into a storyteller with soul and sparkle. As a well-rounded, agile, and detail-oriented big-picture thinker, Robinson has elevated the WNBA through impactful, high-quality storytelling from a diverse and inclusive perspective.<\/p>\n Robinson seamlessly threads the needle by amplifying the person, appreciating their talent, asking tough questions, and delivering commentary that resonates with fans and stakeholders. She delivers insight from the nuanced perspective of a front-office executive, informed by her relationships with agents, scouts, media members, coaches, and players, and by her experience playing basketball at Wake Forest.<\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite thing about\u00a0LaChina\u00a0is that she is an advocate of women first and foremost,\u201d Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud<\/a> said to The IX Sports on June 2. \u201cShe is a girl\u2019s girl, whether she gets the flowers behind the scenes or not. There are a lot of commentators and young black women who have spaces in this realm that didn\u2019t have it before\u00a0LaChina\u00a0stepped in and opened the door for them. I don\u2019t think she gets enough flowers.\u201d<\/p>\n So, when she speaks, Robinson\u2019s analysis comes from an informed viewpoint combined with mutual respect. Understanding that transparency builds loyalty, Robinson doesn\u2019t come off like she\u2019s speaking at viewers. Instead, her conversations are enjoyable, and viewers feel like Robinson\u2019s sitting next to them on their back porch, sipping lemonade, shooting the breeze, and vibing.<\/p>\n Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby<\/a> remembers an early conversation with Robinson. Hamby, whose face lit up when speaking about Robinson, has witnessed her grind and determination to ensure women\u2019s basketball earned its rightful place at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s super loyal to it,\u201d Hamby told The IX Sports last month. \u201cI remember her telling me early on that she only wanted to do women\u2019s basketball. She was a part of the dirty work, in a sense, early on. It\u2019s been really cool to watch her grow. \u2026 She\u2019s very intentional about helping the women around her, who are mostly of color. She also continues to pour into the people that she cares about.\u201d<\/p>\n They share a special connection that runs deeper than their shared Wake Forest roots. Hamby remembers meeting Robinson at a camp she attended when she was 14. It developed into a forever friendship, especially when Hamby soared to stardom at Wake Forest.<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout my life, she\u2019s been a sister, a friend, a mentor, and just very constant,\u201d Hamby said. \u201cShe\u2019s always reminding me of who I am, reminding me of my bright spots and my qualities, and why people love me. She\u2019s just always reassuring me, providing help, and confidence to me, especially in moments that I\u2019m not lacking, but maybe need reminding.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson describes her bond with Hamby as something far deeper than a typical broadcaster\u2013player relationship. She was present when Hamby\u2019s daughter, Amaya, was born. They\u2019ve continued to stay connected through late\u2011night calls and quiet check\u2011ins.<\/p>\n Robinson appreciates witnessing Hamby\u2019s growth and walking alongside her, even in a small way.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s one of one,\u201d Robinson said of Hamby. \u201cI\u2019m always here for her,\u00a0but I also have to be critical of her on the court because that\u2019s my job. I think she respects that about me, and that I\u2019m not going to take it easy on her because we are like sisters, but instead I\u2019m probably harder on her than I am most, so it\u2019s been a beautiful, beautiful friendship that I have gained so much value from.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep The IX Sports at your next game! <\/p>\n Shop the logo collection or special \u201cWomen\u2019s Sports are Front Page News\u201d collection now on Shopify.<\/p>\n Bringing the WNBA to life<\/p>\n Accessible and approachable, Robinson is the living embodiment of Maya Angelou\u2019s famous quote,\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.\u201d<\/p>\n Leading with compassion, clarity and conviction, Robinson is secure in her role. It\u2019s a quality that Young appreciates.<\/p>\n \u201cShe didn\u2019t let the potential of competition deter her from raising the next generation of Black women in the industry,\u201d Young shared. \u201cI think about me and Andraya because in some ways we\u2019re her competition because we all cover the WNBA, but at different networks, and so we\u2019re trying to have the best broadcast or the best coverage, yet she has never let that affect how she\u2019s treated me, how she\u2019s given feedback, how she has directed and steered me. \u2026 She has always been willing to share, willing to fight for us and willing to share her honest thoughts and opinions and give us feedback. It\u2019s made me more confident.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson crisscrosses the country, bringing the WNBA to life, telling stories that extend beyond box scores and headlines. She shines a light on the women behind the uniforms, helping fans see players not just as stars, but as people. Robinson has collected a multicolored mosaic of press credentials, boarding passes, and hotel room key cards from her distinguished career.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is, in my opinion, one of the top people in media because she consistently is the standard,\u201d Young said. \u201cShe does her homework, and she\u2019s got energy. She tells the right story. She tells them from a great perspective while doing her work with integrity. There is not one person I have met in this industry who has not said glowing things about\u00a0LaChina.\u00a0Everywhere she goes, her reputation is stellar, and to me, it\u2019s because she does things the right way and treats people the right way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Robinson has always been guided by the philosophy that respect in the women\u2019s basketball industry is earned by consistently showing up and doing the work behind the scenes rather than through loud self-promotion.<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t really put it out there that this is what she does,\u201d Cloud said, who aspires to become a broadcaster once her career ends. \u201cTo have someone who advocates for you in those spaces, it really is special. She\u2019s been amazing to me since I came into this league, but I don\u2019t think she realizes how much impact she\u2019s truly had through this game of basketball.\u00a0LaChina\u00a0has such an important role because it doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re a franchise player or the last person on the roster. She sees you. She values you. She sees what you bring to a team and all the intangibles.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson sees media in a\u00a0shifting, influence\u2011driven era, but still believes in\u00a0the valuable role that clarity, facts, and resourcing real journalism around the WNBA add to overall coverage. She observed that the voices the audience craves or listens to aren\u2019t always those of people with communications or journalism degrees. It\u2019s often people who can communicate or people who have built a certain level of influence.<\/p>\n Despite the current approaches of some and the never-ending criticisms of the media profession and the way stories are reported, Robinson remains true to her core.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of my role and what I\u2019ve seen my job to be over the years in women\u2019s basketball, it depends on what seat I\u2019m sitting in,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cIf I am a basketball analyst, I am supposed to explain to the audience why things are happening. If I\u2019m a beat reporter, my job may be different. The other role that I have had has been as a podcaster, where I was more of a commentator, so it was me giving my opinions on a variety of things based on the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s encountered too many talented reporters working part-time. She notices the delicate balance of them hustling from their full-time day jobs, sitting in traffic, to being in WNBA arenas in the evenings, most of the time paying out of their own pockets with little return on their efforts, covering the league.<\/p>\n She understands the difficulty of that lifestyle, many of them writing for independent publications that may not have the reach of a legacy media outlet. There are some outlets \u2013 including this one \u2013 that dedicate beat reporters to each team. However, not all 15 WNBA teams have beat reporters from major daily newspapers or television stations who travel to every game.<\/p>\n Robinson has one goal for the WNBA, which she believes would elevate the coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, I just want the WNBA to be treated like every other sport when it comes to the resources that are invested to cover these teams and athletes properly,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cJust because you see all these viral posts on social media doesn\u2019t mean the actual journalistic perspective is being properly represented in this sport. There\u2019s still not going to be as much personnel or as much resources designated to covering the WNBA as there are other major sports, and so let\u2019s address that part. I\u2019m all for diversity in how sports are being covered, not just in who, but in how.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Carving out opportunities<\/p>\n Guided by her faith, Robinson has been an inspiration, from serving as a board member on the Women\u2019s Sports Foundation to starting Rising Media Stars to beginning her latest venture, The Rise, a personal development platform for women.<\/p>\n Gray recalls Robinson\u2019s advocacy extending beyond direct mentorship.<\/p>\n She knows Robinson speaks her mentees\u2019 names in influential spaces and creates opportunities, such as a sideline reporter position for the Atlanta Dream. Recognizing gaps in broadcasting, Robinson used one of her many leadership traits to develop a targeted action plan to address them and enhance the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember her saying, \u2018Hey, we don\u2019t have sideline for the Atlanta Dream,’\u201d Gray said. \u201cShe said, \u2018I think we should change that,\u2019 and it wasn\u2019t something that paid like crazy. \u2026The fact of the matter is she carved out an opportunity for me to get the reps that I needed for a WNBA team, and for me to come back home, like that was how she, that\u2019s how she invested in us.\u201d<\/p>\n Gray and Robinson were on the ESPN call for the historic 2025 Sky-Sparks<\/a> broadcast in which Candace Parker<\/a> had her jersey retired<\/a>. Gray\u2019s portfolio has included calling softball, NCAA women\u2019s and men\u2019s basketball, and the NBA. She credits plenty of those assignments to Robinson, who recognized something special in her after they connected in 2011.<\/p>\n In addition to responding to emails from young women looking to connect on a regular basis, Robinson earns respect because she also keeps it real in an empathetic yet constructive way, without being demeaning.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s not just a mentor telling you what could be done better on your reel, but she speaks your name in rooms that you aren\u2019t in and is trying to carve out opportunities for people,\u201d Gray recalled. \u201cThose opportunities were the absolute launching pad for me to continue to build relationships with people in production and networks that way, but then also realize what my voice was in this space and build relationships with the different people, you know, like in the W. So, what she means to me, I think there\u2019s not a proper way to express it.\u201d<\/p>\n 2026 WNBA transaction tracker<\/p>\n Power of community<\/p>\n The backbone of Robinson\u2019s journey has always been community. It\u2019s not a buzzword for her. After her playing days were finished at Wake Forest, Robinson worked seven years in athletics administration at the Atlantic Coast Conference office and Georgia Tech.<\/p>\n She experienced the power of community when she attended the Dr. Charles Whitcomb NCAA Leadership Institute in 2007 with 24 other women of color. She said it was the first time in her post-athletic life that she truly felt surrounded, seen, and valued. They spoke life into her, affirmed her at a critical quarter\u2011life crossroads, and became the network she still leans on today.<\/p>\n The Leadership Institute was a safe space for Robinson because it challenged her in ways she hadn\u2019t been before. Through rigorous self-reflection and late-night team-building exercises during the experience, she was prompted to view her life through a different lens.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was amazing and life-changing,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cWe\u2019re still all in touch and supporting each other in our endeavors to this day. The Leadership Institute made me consider changing course in my career. They made me feel seen. So, when I fast-forward to what I\u2019m doing with Rising Media Stars, the groundwork for that was laid by my experience at the Leadership Institute. The other thing that the Leadership Institute did for me was it gave me great relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n In a full-circle moment years later, Robinson partnered with NCAA Leadership Development on the Rising Media Stars program<\/a>. The collaboration started at the 2023 Women\u2019s Final Four in Dallas. It provided a year-round experience for in-the-field training while developing a talent pipeline for NCAA linear and digital assignments and offered opportunities for professional development and career mentorship.<\/p>\n \u201cMy class was the first group that she took to the Final Four, and that was actually the year of LSU and Iowa,\u201d Davis recalled. \u201cSo to be in the building for that big moment with Angel Reese<\/a> and Caitlin Clark<\/a>, that was a catalyst to everything that we\u2019re seeing with women\u2019s basketball right now, and then for me to be working in the W, I just feel like right time, right place has always worked in my favor, as well as with the Super Bowl being in Arizona while I was in grad school. It all comes back to\u00a0LaChina\u00a0for these opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson has created a self-sustaining pipeline of women of color teaching women of color through monthly community meetings. Two of the program alums co-lead sessions on specific topics, such as on-air prep, game boards and sideline reporting.<\/p>\n Developing a village is a beneficial part of Robinson\u2019s strategy, especially since she knows many talented women applied for Rising Media Stars but weren\u2019t accepted into the highly competitive, selective cohort of five women at a time. The shared wisdom, collective support, and sense of belonging have ensured that more women are exposed to the network, resources and educational opportunities so they can enhance their careers.<\/p>\n Intentionally Building Her Life<\/p>\n Eventually, Robinson carved out space for herself.<\/p>\n She said that stepping away from women\u2019s college basketball allowed her to think about what she wanted her life to look like. It took some time and reflection, but Robinson is glad that focusing solely on the WNBA became the spark that led her to meet her husband, in, of all places, a TSA PreCheck line.<\/p>\n Seems appropriate.<\/p>\n \u201cI was so bullish about my career, about creating Rising Media Stars to support others, that I did forget about myself along the way,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cI do feel better equipped right now. I feel like I\u2019m in a bit of a renaissance time in my life, where I feel very confident in my work and my place in my career and in the world, and personally, and I know it has a lot to do with deciding to intentionally build my life, and not just my career, and to get married.<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband brings so much joy to my life. I\u2019ve always said, God knows exactly what you need, and I\u2019ve needed this focus the last few years on my personal life to be better at all aspects of who I am, and my husband was a big part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n In another irony, Robinson, while traveling with her husband to Disney World, received a life-affirming phone call that only a few on the planet receive. Robinson had already worked the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics in various capacities for NBC, but now her role was expanding in a way beyond her wildest imagination for Paris. She was an analyst on the men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cI could not have been in a more fitting place,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cI was floating on a cloud and in some kind of dreamland. I kept asking the person on the other end of the phone, like, \u2018Are you sure this is for me?\u2019 [Calling the Olympics] was one of the greatest honors of my life because it was probably the one thing that I never thought could actually happen for me. I still render myself speechless. \u2026 What I\u2019ve had to embrace over time is the gift that God has given me, the doors that He has opened, and the hard work that I have put in that led to those phone calls.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s core leadership lesson for women is simple and countercultural: don\u2019t sacrifice your life on the altar of your career. When young women ask how to follow her path, she tells them to \u201cmake time for a life\u201d \u2014 to recognize there\u2019s room to chase big goals and still choose a partner, a family, or rest.<\/p>\n She made the distinction between constructing a career and building a life, which was significant because they are two different things.<\/p>\n Pushing back against hustle culture, she warned that if somebody always \u201cgotta move, gotta shake,\u201d they risk waking up one day with the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 they wanted, but nothing left for themselves when the job changes, disappears, or no longer defines them.<\/p>\n \u201cI really enjoyed that she knew that that\u2019s what she wanted for herself, and she was calm and patient about that,\u201d Davis said. \u201cShe\u2019s also a really good friend. I\u2019ve noticed the way that she shows up for her friends. You can also see how people show up for her. I forget what year it was, but for her surprise engagement, a lot of people flew in, and it was people from all over, whether that be basketball players, people in Rising Media Stars, her longtime friends that don\u2019t have anything to do with sports. I feel like people don\u2019t show up for you in that way unless you\u2019re actually pouring back into them.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, Robinson is rooted in the game she loves, surrounded by the women she helped clear a path for so they could soar. She is a treasured gem, her diligence helping women\u2019s basketball groove to its own unmistakable rhythm.<\/p>\n She never chased the spotlight or set out to be the face of the WNBA. She chased the work. She chased the possibilities. She traveled the back roads along lonely, dark highways so that more women \u2014 especially women of color \u2014 could stand in rooms that once felt closed to them.<\/p>\n Robinson stayed steadfast in her belief that the WNBA would reach this level, powered by her bold vision, fearless leadership, and pioneering spirit.<\/p>\n She is more than a trusted voice of the WNBA. Robinson is one of the architects of this era of the WNBA, a quiet force whose legacy lives in her relationships, in the broadcast booth, in the newsroom, and in the dreams of the young women who now know there is a place for them.<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s impact may be tough to quantify but easier to feel: a higher standard, a louder presence, more women of color in the media where their voices carry weight, their presence builds trust, and their resolve transforms lives.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the door opens for the women that I have mentored to achieve their dreams, I want them to feel confident, prepared, and supported,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cNothing makes me happier than to see people achieve their dreams. That\u2019s literally at the root of the work that I do as a mentor.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want them to be the next\u00a0LaChina\u00a0Robinson. I want them to accomplish things far beyond what I\u2019ve been able to do, and far beyond what they could even imagine. At the end of the day, my life\u2019s work speaks for itself, and the sport of women\u2019s basketball is better because I was a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/RMS_Grad__0380.jpeg\")
LaChina Robinson\u2019s Rising Media Stars has been a game-changer in the media industry. Here, a group of RMS alums gathers during a recent celebration along with RMS co-founder Kevin Nixon. (Photo credit: Provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n
Subscribe now and join us, just $6 a month or $60 a year. It\u2019s the\u00a0women\u2019s sports media network<\/a>\u00a0we all wished for, and now it\u2019s here! Soccer Monday, Tennis Tuesday, Basketball Wednesday, Golf Thursday, Hockey Friday \u2013 powered by The Ice Garden \u2014 and Gymnastics Saturday.<\/p>\n![\"LaChina](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3977.jpg\")
LaChina Robinson didn\u2019t land her first full-time contract \u2014 with any sense of guaranteed work \u2014 until a decade into her broadcasting career. (Photo credit: ESPN, provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women\u2019s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women\u2019s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!<\/p>\n![\"Seven](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5695-1024x960.jpeg\")
Rising Media Stars founder LaChina Robinson with the inaugural cohort in 2018, which, from left to right, includes Sijia Liu, Zora Stephenson, Isis Young, Andraya Carter, and Shanteona Keys with RMS co-founder Kevin Nixon. (Photo credit: Provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, wrote this deeply reported book. \u201cRare Gems\u201d follows four connected generations of women\u2019s basketball pioneers, from Elvera \u201cPeps\u201d Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.<\/p>\n![\"LaChina](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0529-1024x683.jpeg\")
LaChina Robinson wore Britney Griner\u2019s No. 42 jersey during a game while Griner was held prisoner in Russia, as many in the women\u2019s basketball community showed support for her. (Photo credit, ESPN, provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/unisex-premium-sweatshirt-black-zoomed-in-69d805eea2e49-1024x1024.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"LaChina](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/RS531890_20170513_Kobe-Bryant273-1024x741.jpg\")
Kobe Bryant and sideline reporter LaChina Robinson during a regular-season game in 2017. Bryant had become an advocate of women\u2019s basketball before his death in 2020. (Photo credit: Scott Clarke | ESPN Images, provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"LaChina](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/LaChina-2-1024x930.jpeg\")
LaChina Robinson has done everything during her career from hosting studio shows and delivering analysis and anchoring coverage. (Photo credit: ESPN, provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.theixsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/UPDATED-EDIT-Jonathan-and-LaChina-016-740x1024.jpg\")
LaChina Robinson just recently celebrated a year of marriage to her husband, Jonathan. They were married on April 13, 2025. (Photo credit: Provided by LaChina Robinson)<\/p>\n