Malika Andrews, full name Malika Rose Andrews, was born on January 27, 1995, in Oakland, California. She is an American sports journalist and the host of ESPN’s NBA Today.
Her rise from a college newspaper editor to the face of ESPN’s NBA coverage happened in under a decade.
Who is Malika Andrews?
Malika Andrews, according to her Wikipedia profile, is an American sports journalist, television host, and reporter. She currently serves as the host of NBA Today and NBA Countdown on ESPN.
Andrews joined ESPN in October 2018 as an online NBA writer. Within two years, she became the network’s youngest sideline reporter for an NBA broadcast during the 2020 NBA Bubble.
Since then, her role has expanded well beyond basketball. She now also contributes to ESPN’s WNBA studio coverage and its tennis broadcasts, including the Australian Open.
In December 2025, Andrews filled in for a week as a co-anchor on Good Morning America. That appearance showed a network betting on her reach beyond sports.
Early Life of Malika Andrews
Andrews grew up in Oakland, California, the daughter of Mike Andrews, a personal trainer, and Caren Andrews, an art teacher. She grew up rooting for the Golden State Warriors, a team that struggled through much of her childhood.
Her interest in journalism did not start on a sports beat. Before college, Andrews spent a year working at her maternal grandfather’s civil rights law firm.
She has a younger sister, Kendra Andrews, who also became a sports journalist. Kendra covered the Golden State Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area before ESPN hired her in December 2021 to cover the same team.
Andrews has also spoken publicly about a difficult stretch of her adolescence. As a teenager, she spent time in a therapeutic boarding school in Utah while dealing with depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder.
Malika Andrews Age
Malika Andrews is 31 years old as of 2026, born on January 27, 1995. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
She became ESPN’s youngest sideline reporter for an NBA broadcast at just 25 years old. By 27, she was already hosting a daily national NBA show.
Malika Andrews Ethnicity and Nationality
Andrews holds American nationality and was born and raised in California. She is of Jewish descent through her mother, Caren, and had a bat mitzvah in 2008.
Her father’s side of the family is Black. That mixed heritage has occasionally come up in profiles of her career and background.
Family has remained central to her public story. Both of her parents raised her and her sister in Oakland, where sports and education were emphasized equally.
Malika Andrews Height and Weight
Reliable, verified figures for Andrews’ exact height and weight are not publicly confirmed. Various outlets list differing numbers, none of which trace back to a consistent primary source.
What is well documented is her on-camera presence during high-pressure live broadcasts. She has anchored studio shows and sideline coverage for the NBA Finals without formal broadcast training beforehand.
Malika Andrews Education
Andrews began eighth grade at Head-Royce School in Oakland. She later attended a year-round therapeutic boarding school in Utah, graduating in 2012 at age 17.
She then enrolled at the University of Portland, where she studied communications. While there, she worked as a sports writer and editor before becoming editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Beacon.
In 2016, Andrews won the Best Writer Award among Oregon college students. She graduated from the University of Portland with honors in 2017.
Malika Andrews Career
Early Journalism Career
Before ESPN, Andrews built her resume through several serious reporting jobs. She interned at The Denver Post, then worked as a James Reston Reporting Fellow in the sports department at The New York Times.
During her time at the Times, she met Dave McMenamin, who was then living in Cleveland. That meeting would later shape both her career and personal life.
After her fellowship, Andrews spent a year at the Chicago Tribune covering the NBA in the Midwest, with a focus on the Chicago Bulls. That beat gave her direct experience covering players, coaches, and locker rooms.
In 2017, she introduced herself to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski at an NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas. Wojnarowski had already read her work at The Beacon, and that introduction opened the door to ESPN.
Rise at ESPN
ESPN hired Andrews in October 2018 as an online NBA writer covering the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. She later moved to New York to also cover the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.
In 2019, Andrews wrote an article suggesting Giannis Antetokounmpo might leave Milwaukee if the Bucks failed to win a title before his free agency. After the Bucks lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Toronto Raptors, Antetokounmpo walked out of a press conference over the piece.
The following year brought her biggest break. During the 2020 NBA Bubble in Orlando, Andrews became one of the first reporters on-site at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and went on to serve as the league’s youngest sideline reporter for a Conference Finals broadcast.
She also led the virtual 2020 NBA Draft telecast that year. Her steady reporting throughout the bubble drew wide attention across the sports media industry.
Major Achievements
On July 6, 2021, ESPN named Andrews the sideline reporter for ABC’s NBA Finals coverage, replacing Rachel Nichols. That same year, Forbes included her on its 30 Under 30 list for the sports industry.
In September 2021, ESPN made her the host of NBA Today, replacing The Jump. She was nominated for a Sports Emmy in the Emerging On-Air Talent category that same year.
Andrews won that Sports Emmy in May 2022 for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent. Weeks earlier, in March 2022, she had appeared in the short film Playoffs on NBA Lane alongside retired broadcaster Marv Albert.
On June 23, 2022, Andrews made history as the first woman to host the NBA Draft. She has since hosted the draft in multiple following years.
Current Role
Andrews continues to host NBA Today and NBA Countdown as of 2026. Her assignments now also include WNBA Countdown and international tennis coverage such as the Australian Open.
In October 2023, a court granted Andrews a restraining order against an alleged stalker. She received a further Emmy nomination in 2024 in the Personality/Studio Host category.
Her role at ESPN keeps expanding beyond basketball season. She has become one of the network’s most visible on-air personalities across multiple sports.
Malika Andrews Awards and Recognition
Andrews has built a substantial list of honors since entering the industry. In 2021, she received the National Association of Black Journalists’ Michael J. Feeney Emerging Journalist of the Year Award.
She has also been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Her Sports Emmy win in 2022 remains her most prominent broadcasting honor.
Andrews earned Sports Emmy nominations in 2021 and again in 2024. Each nomination reflected a different stage of her transition from field reporter to studio host.
Malika Andrews Husband
Andrews married Dave McMenamin, a longtime ESPN colleague and NBA reporter, on August 24, 2024. The ceremony took place in San Francisco, Andrews’ hometown region.
The couple first met years earlier while Andrews was working as a print reporter at The New York Times. McMenamin was living in Cleveland at the time, and the two developed their relationship gradually over several years before marrying.
McMenamin has worked at ESPN since 2009 and is known for covering the Los Angeles Lakers. He graduated from Syracuse University before beginning his own sports journalism career.
Andrews has kept most of the relationship details private. She has said publicly that people tend to fill gaps in her story with assumptions when information is not shared.
Malika Andrews Children
Andrews does not have any children as of 2026. She has not publicly discussed plans for starting a family.
Malika Andrews Net Worth
Malika Andrews’ estimated net worth is $2 million as of 2026. Her income comes primarily from her ESPN salary as a studio host and reporter, along with additional earnings from special event coverage and hosting assignments.
Her financial profile has grown steadily alongside her on-air responsibilities. Since 2018, she has moved from a beat writer’s salary to a multi-year contract as one of ESPN’s featured NBA voices.
Malika Andrews Social Media
Andrews is active on both Instagram and X under the same handle. Her Instagram account mixes coverage of NBA events with glimpses of her personal interests, including equestrian riding and reading.
She also posts frequently on X, where she shares league news and reactions to games she covers. Fans looking for real-time updates on her reporting typically find her there first.
The Bottom Line
Andrews became the youngest sideline reporter for an NBA Finals broadcast during the 2020 Orlando bubble, then rose to host NBA Today by 2021. In 2022, she made history as the first woman to host the NBA Draft.
She grew up in Oakland cheering for the Warriors and later became editor-in-chief of her college newspaper before breaking into national sports media. Her marriage to fellow ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin in August 2024 came after they met years earlier at The New York Times.
Andrews now hosts NBA Today, NBA Countdown, and WNBA Countdown while also covering tennis events like the Australian Open. We hope you enjoyed reading about Malika Andrews. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!