• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 19, 2025

ESPN’s Lisa Salters Missing NBA Finals Game 2 Due to ‘Personal Matter’

Salters is missing Sunday night’s Game 2 due to a personal matter; Jorge Sedano will fill in.

Lisa Salters
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN/ABC sideline reporter Lisa Salters will miss Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers.

“Lisa is attending to a personal matter. We send her our best,” ESPN told Front Office Sports in a statement. 

Salters has been involved with the NBA on ESPN and ABC since 2005, and has been the sideline reporter for the NBA Finals since 2022. She also filled in for Michele Tafoya in the role in 2006 when Tafoya was on maternity leave. 

Jorge Sedano will fill in for Salters on ABC for Game 2 Sunday night. Sedano has been serving as the sideline reporter for ESPN’s radio coverage of the Finals. Vanessa Richardson will fill in for Sedano on radio. 

Salters’s partner, Stephanie White, the head coach of the Fever, also missed Saturday night’s game against the Sky, citing personal reasons.

On the Game 2 broadcast, it was disclosed that Salters’s mother is dealing with “serious health issues.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) is introduced before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.

NBA Taking Cues from NBA Twitter in Restoring Finals Pageantry

The NBA and ESPN/ABC made several changes on the fly.
Washington's Ben Gorsage, right, and Orland Park Sandburg's Mateo Ramiro-Garcia tangle at the start of the Class 3A state 800-meter run Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Gorsage took third place, followed by Ramiro-Garcia in fourth.

Dozens of Olympic Sports Have Been Cut in Wake of House v...

Tennis, track and field, and swimming and diving appear heavily impacted.
Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) leave a court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 in game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.

Lakers Sale Stunner: 3 Rapid Reactions

If the Lakers are worth $10 billion, imagine a Cowboys sale price.

NBA’s $77B Rights Deal a Major Factor in $10B Lakers Stunner

The league’s rights deal has a lot to do with soaring valuations.

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.
Thunder
June 16, 2025

NBA, ABC Air Finals Lineup Intros After Fan Complaints

ABC aired player intros for the first time in 12 years Monday. 
Anthony Slater
exclusive
June 13, 2025

Top Warriors Reporter Anthony Slater Leaving The Athletic for ESPN

Anthony Slater starts at ESPN later this summer.
June 12, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Rise in Game 3, but Still Trail Recent Years

The Pacers lead the Thunder, 2–1, in the Finals.
OSZAR »