ESPN Has Officially Announced Elle Duncan's Replacement Thursday

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 11:39 AM ET

With longtime ESPN anchor Elle Duncan moving on to greener pastures, the network has been looking for a permanent replacement in a variety of roles. Today, ESPN's women's basketball coverage has a new face.

On Thursday, ESPN announced that Christine Williamson will be the new lead on women's college basketball this season and that she will be hosting their coverage of the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four. She replaces Duncan in the role.

In a statement, ESPN executive Burke Magnus praised Williamson for her work and believes that she'll be able to cover events for SportsCenter and GameDay at a very high level.

“Christine has earned these high-profile roles on two of our most important content areas – SportsCenter and women’s college basketball,” Magnus said. “Christine connects with fans through her energy, personality and knowledge of sports, and she’s proven throughout her ESPN career that she can anchor coverage at the highest level — both on SportsCenter and on the road with GameDay.”

Christine Williamson (@itsthebaldgirl) steps into new roles across ESPN

️ Co-anchor of 6p ET @SportsCenter
Lead studio host for @ESPN_WomenHoop - including Women's @CollegeGameDay

Details: https://t.co/NVnYr6PqJL pic.twitter.com/ggFyqfnXcB
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 11, 2025

Williamson's Career

Christine Williamson has established herself as a versatile and rising sports broadcaster since joining ESPN in October 2019. At the network, she has anchored multiple editions of SportsCenter, most frequently the 2 p.m. ET broadcast alongside Matt Barrie, and hosted a wide range of digital and studio programs including SC on Snap, Countdown to GameDay, Hoop Streams, Rankings Reaction, The Wrap-Up, and The Heisman Show.

Williamson expanded into college football coverage as part of the College GameDay team, reporting from campuses during the season, and has been a rotating panelist on Around the Horn. Before ESPN, she gained experience with Fox Sports, the Big 12 Network, and as a host/reporter for the Denver Broncos.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: ESPN logo on a camera cover prior to the UFL football game between the St. Louis Battlehawks and the DC Defenders on April 28, 2024, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

As with just about any piece of ESPN news these days, the announcement was met with a mixed response. Some fans love Williamson and some complain that she's unwatchable.

But someone has to fill the role and the majority of fans who already watch ESPN's content aren't going to change the channel just because Elle Duncan isn't there anymore.

Congratulations to Christine Williamson on her new roles.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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