Trailer: Watch Here
As sports fans get ready for the madness of March, ESPN today announced the upcoming debut of Full Court Press – a new ESPN+ Original Series that chronicles the ongoing journeys of senior Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, senior South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso and sophomore UCLA guard Kiki Rice. From Iowa’s historic preseason game that broke attendance records all the way through the WNBA draft in April, the series uses unparalleled access, exclusive interviews, and unique game footage, to transport audiences into the lives of these exceptional athletes. Full Court Press follows them as they steer their celebrated programs towards a national championship, all while navigating the pressures that come with representing the game during a pivotal era in women’s basketball.
Full Court Press has been embedded with these three players throughout this record-breaking season, capturing key moments such as Kamilla Cardoso’s game-winning three-pointer to send South Carolina to the SEC Championship; documenting Kiki Rice’s experiences as the first college athlete, male or female, to have an NIL deal with Jordan brand; and filming the lead up to Caitlin Clark passing Kelsey Plum as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball and passing Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in the history of NCAA collegiate basketball in her final year at Iowa. The show will take audiences from Paris to Brazil, from sold out arenas in Baton Rouge to Iowa City for the biggest matchups, all to give fans a window into this unique moment in the history of the sport.
Caitlin Clark | University of Iowa, Senior Guard
Caitlin Clark is finishing the 2023-24 season as one of the most accomplished players in college basketball history, with the Iowa senior guard capturing a number of records, headlined by the all-time NCAA scoring mark. Before heading to the WNBA as the likely number one overall pick in the draft, Caitlin looks to lead her team back to the NCAA championship game – this time leaving with the title.
Kamilla Cardoso | University of South Carolina, Senior Center
South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso returns to the Gamecocks for her senior year, this time in a starting role. There were high expectations on the Brazilian stepping in for former national player of the year Aliyah Boston, and she’s delivered, leading the team to a perfect regular season, and hitting her first career three pointer vs Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinals, advancing South Carolina to the championship game. Cardoso, a potential top-5 pick in the WNBA draft, also traveled home to Montes Claros to play with the Brazilian national team when they attempted to qualify for the Olympics.
Kiki Rice | UCLA, Sophomore Guard
Kiki Rice was the number-two ranked recruit in the country out of high school, and she’s has been a standout in her second year at UCLA. As the youngest of the featured athletes in the series, Rice is no stranger to the spotlight and is poised to help the Bruins reach their first Final Four.
“I remember what it meant to the University of Tennessee and the entire state when Pat Summitt led the Lady Vols to back-to-back national titles during my time in Knoxville,” said Peyton Manning, founder of Omaha Productions. “We’re excited to share the stories of these three amazing women to a national audience at this incredible moment for women’s basketball.”
Director Kristen Lappas said: “As someone who has grown up a devout fan of the women’s game, I am thrilled that we are able to make this show at this pivotal moment in the history of the sport. To be able to pull back the curtain and document Caitlin Clark’s historic season has been a privilege for our entire team. Each of our three players brings a unique set of storylines to the table, and we hope we’re able to capture both the excitement and the complexities surrounding what it means to be an elite female basketball player in 2024.”
Brian Lockhart, SVP, Original Content and ESPN Films, said: “Fan support and excitement over women’s basketball is at an all-time high and we’re seeing it reflected across many platforms at ESPN. With Full Court Press, we’ve had unprecedented access to the biggest players in the game, and our Original Content team is proud to have helped develop a series that showcases the fun and competitive spirit of this special moment in women’s sports.”
Following its initial linear broadcast on ABC, with Episodes 1 & 2 airing on Saturday, May 11th at 1pm ET and Episodes 3 & 4 airing on Sunday, May 12th at 12:30pm ET, all episodes will be immediately available to stream on ESPN+.
Full Court Press is directed by Kristen Lappas and is produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Words & Pictures in partnership with ESPN+
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 30,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $10.99 a month (or $109.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or in the ESPN App on mobile and connected devices. For more visit the ESPN+ Press Kit.
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