Paying It Forward
October 06, 2023 | Women's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Bulldogs benefit from time with ESPN’s Andraya Carter.
STARKVILLE – Turn on one of the ESPN networks these days and there's a good chance you'll see and hear from Andraya Carter. The former Tennessee Lady Vol hoopster has had a meteoric rise the last half-decade or so and become one of the leading ladies in all of sportscasting.
From covering college basketball and football to the NBA Draft, Carter has done a little bit of everything since her playing career in Knoxville got cut short. As Carter's career has elevated, she hasn't forgotten the names that nurtured her on the journey. Maria Taylor. Carolyn Peck. Rebecca Lobo. The list goes on and on.
Inspired by her mentors, now Carter is paying it forward.
Carter spent Thursday afternoon and evening with the Mississippi State women's basketball team, providing tips for the Bulldogs on how to best approach interviews with reporters as well as teaching them all how to best be their true, authentic selves in order to maximize their opportunities in basketball and beyond.
"The only way I can pay back the people that helped me is by doing things like this," Carter said. "This is my way of being like them and being open to anybody that needs anything."
Suffice it to say, this was a mutually beneficial experience. Carter got the chance to honor those that have previously helped her, while the Bulldogs soaked in knowledge from one of the most talented broadcasters in the business.
"When you talk about Andraya Carter, you're talking about a strong female who played college basketball," State head coach Sam Purcell said. "But not only did she play college basketball at the highest level, she took on an opportunity she earned through hard work and became a broadcaster and is one of the best.
"For us as a program that's on the national stage, we have national opportunities to speak in front of a camera and a spotlight we take a lot of pride in. So, to have somebody that's in the studio on ESPN and for her to be able to ask our young women questions and educate them on what are good responses and how to speak on things, it only makes a group of powerful women I'm coaching now even more powerful."
Carter used videos from real-life press conferences at the college and pro levels to teach the ins and outs of how to best respond to inquiries from the media. No stone was left unturned.
The Bulldogs were given tips on staying mindful of their body language, remaining in the moment and listening, being open and honest, right down to having the mindfulness to slow down and take a breath when needed to ensure that the right thoughts are expressed.
All tips came with the reminder that the players have the opportunity to make an interview so much bigger than just a series of questions and answers. Carter herself is a walking example of that fact.
She said she was originally approached to get into broadcasting, in part, because her prior interviews when she was a player had allowed others to see how well-spoken and knowledgeable she was about the game. It's since carried her to a career she never even thought possible.
"I'm extremely aware of the chance basketball might not work out for everyone because that's what happened to me," Carter shared. "Because I spoke to people and because I talked about the game and I talked about scouting reports and my teammates, I had such a broad perspective that it helped me get other opportunities outside of playing basketball.
"So, I'm just really big on helping student-athletes think about who they want to be and how they want to present themselves and what they want to do at the next level. Then, I want to give them tools to put that out into the world. You've got to put it out there or no one is going to know what you want to do or who you are. If people don't know who you are, they don't know what you're good at outside of the game of basketball. I think being comfortable with who you are and being your authentic self and presenting that and walking that fine line is really important."
Just in the brief time Carter had with the Bulldogs, her impact was seen immediately. She conducted mock interviews with each player – something Carter is uniquely skilled to handle given her own background as a player-turned-reporter. She knows both sides of the equation.
Carter provided individualized instruction for each Bulldog. Sometimes it was tips on how to expound upon comfortable topics. Other times, Carter taught how to redirect questions back to things the player truly wanted to discuss.
"It was all super cool," State center Jessika Carter said. "This was very unique. I don't feel like a lot of teams are doing things like this and getting prepared like this."
It was all something that's likely to stick with the Dawgs both now and into the future. That's precisely what Andraya Carter was hoping for when she arrived in Starkville with the chance to thank those who've impacted her by lending a helping hand to the next generation of players.
"It's helping these young women be more than just athletes," Carter said. "A lot of them may go on to be in multiple fields whether it's basketball or something else. To be able to speak on yourself, whether it's about a resume on a job interview or to the media, all of that is important. I think the investment Coach Sam and Mississippi State have made to help these young women feel comfortable says a lot."
