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I'm a Sports Reporter

Meet Pepper Persley, a 12-year-old journalist making her mark on the sports world. 

May 8, 2023
By Pepper Persley, age 12

I’ve always been curious— I’ve been asking questions since I could talk! So I became a reporter.

I set my sights on the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). The WNBA is very important and inspiring to me. Four generations of my family have attended New York Liberty games. And I love playing basketball too.

In 2020, I started a podcast called Dish With Pepper. I get to talk to different people in the sports world, including reporters like me.

I got to fulfill one of my biggest dreams last year! In July, I became a reporter covering the WNBA. I traveled to Nevada to report on the Las Vegas Aces. I attended practices and studied videos of previous games over and over. I prepared questions to ask on game day.

Then, through connections I made along the way, I landed another great opportunity. I was asked to cover Major League Baseball for the sports channel ESPN. Working for ESPN is a big achievement for a sports reporter. It was exciting! 

Courtesy of family

Pepper talked to Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury in 2018. She’s been interviewing WNBA players since she was 6.

Up Next

When the new WNBA season starts this month, I’ll be back at work. Basketball is my passion, but I’d also love to interview Serena Williams, Simone Biles, or Taylor Swift one day.

Getting here wasn’t easy. I send out a lot of emails and get plenty of rejections. That can be hard. My advice? Surround yourself with people you trust and who support you. Great things can happen.

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