There are some who follow in the footsteps and then there are those who pave the way. Stephanie Ready surely belongs to the latter. During her inspiring journey that began with her birth in 1975, Ready has been a trailblazer for women in sports. Her crisp X bio highlights her diverse accomplishments perfectly, “Blessed! Mother of James & Ivy. Host on NBATV, Reporter on NBA on TNT. 1st woman to coach a men’s pro sports team-2002 G-League Champions!”
However, Stephanie’s true impact goes far beyond these few words. Let’s dive deeper into how a girl from Maryland became one of the most influential figures in sports and the journey that brought her to this stage.
Where is Stephanie Ready from? Which high school and college did she attend?
Well, Ready was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, into a family of passionate sports enthusiasts. As expected, the athletic gene and fandom passed down to her and she soon became a two-sport athlete, playing volleyball and basketball. Growing up, Stephanie attended Washington’s National Cathedral School where she continued working on her game. That landed her a chance to attend Coppin State University in Baltimore, where she played both sports at a collegiate level. And she was no scrub.
In fact, Ready became one the best players in the program. Suiting up for the Eagles, she finished top ten in points, steals, rebounds, and assists, etching her name in Coppin State history. Obviously, a pro athlete seemed like the next step forward. But Ready had other plans. You see, apart from being an elite athlete, she was also an outstanding student. Stephanie graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and hoped to pursue an academic route by becoming an industrial psychologist. Then, destiny took over.
Stephanie Ready Coaching career: A look into her influence in basketball and volleyball
While Ready planned to continue her education, Ron “Fang” Mitchell, Coppin State’s athletic director pursued her to take up a coaching job. The opportunity intrigued the two-sport athlete and she was hired as the coach of the women’s volleyball team two weeks before season tip-off. That was her first step toward creating history. That’s because she was one of the youngest Division I volleyball coaches in the nation.
Witnessing her tremendous growth, Mitchell added Ready to her coaching staff for the men’s basketball team. It was the third time in Division I basketball history that a woman was coaching a men’s team. The other two – Jennifer Johnston for Oakland University, and Bernadette Mattox for University of Kentucky. But Ready took that accomplishment a step further by earning a promotion and becoming NCAA’s first female Division I recruiter. Sure enough, she had complete support from Mitchell, “It was a no-brainer. She’s very detail-oriented and one of the most organized people I’ve had a pleasure to work with.” With Ready making her presence felt in the NCAA circuit, a bigger opportunity came calling.
NBA, Basketball Herren, USA Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers Oct 20, 2022 Los Angeles, California, USA TNT broadcasters from left Reggie Miller Stephanie Ready, Candace Parker and Kevin Harlan pose during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKirbyxLeex 20221020_ams_al2_0270
Turns out, NBA Developmental League’s Karl Hicks and Rob Levine presented Ready with an opportunity to coach a men’s professional basketball team. Thanks to an endorsement by Mitchell, Stephanie became the assistant coach for the now G League’s Greenville Groove. Thus, beginning her NBA journey. For two years, Ready worked night in and night out at her new job under head coach Milt Barnes. Her hard work finally paid off as the Groove became G League champions in 2002. “There were lots of sleepless nights up late watching video, writing scouting reports and doing game prep. I did everything the right way and worked my tail off.” Ready remarked, reminiscing about her time in the G League. Then, a new challenge began.
Stephanie Ready Broadcasting career: When did she start as a sideline reporter?
Following the two years with the Groove, Ready embarked on her journey as a journalist, as she took a sideline reporter job for the Bobcats in 2004. Soon after, she began covering the NBA and WNBA playoffs, along with Women’s Final Four of college basketball, working part-time with TNT and ESPN. After years of hard work, Ready took a massive leap in 2015 when she got promoted from the Hornets’ sidelines to the broadcasting booth – becoming the first full-time female NBA game analyst.
It was a dream come true for Ready, as she said, “I am thrilled – I’m over the moon with excitement. When I was a coach and considered getting into television, this was the job that I wanted. This was the reason that I got into sports broadcasting, because I wanted to be a game analyst. Even though I’ve done it all these years – some college games and some NBA games on a fill in basis – this will be the first time I get to focus primarily on the job that I love the most in television. I couldn’t be more excited.” Now, Stephanie works for Turner Sports and is one of the most renowned faces of the network, constantly covering the most high-profile games. While she is now a household name for every hoop fan, not much is known about Ready’s personal life.
Is Stephanie Ready married? What’s her relationship status?
Despite being a public figure, Stephanie has managed to keep her private life private. She rarely shares any personal information to the public. All that’s known is that her husband is Perry Jones, and they have two children, James and Ivy. She has 19.8K followers on X and 30.3K on Instagram. Maybe, the world will find out more about her someday in the future. But until then, Stephanie continues to be an inspiration for every aspiring individual trying to achieve something big in life.
She was even named one of “The 56 Most Intriguing Blacks of 2001” by Ebony magazine, along with legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. Since then, Ready has only added to her legacy and made her influence even bigger. A true legend indeed.
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