INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Sports Corp announced on Monday that Debbie Antonelli will be recognized with the Inspiring Sports Storyteller Award at its annual State of Sports presented by Indiana University on November 13 at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.
The Inspiring Sports Storyteller Award is given to journalists who share stories that showcase how the power of sports can inspire people to take action and invest in their community. Previous recipients include Gregg Doyel, Malcom Moran, Sage Steele, Rowdy Gaines, and Anne Marie Tiernon.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Debbie’s legacy by recognizing her with the Inspiring Sports Storyteller Award,” said Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty. “For over 35 years, she has made a lasting impact by using her voice to uplift women’s basketball and show how sports can unite a community.”
Antonelli is a Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer and current TV Analyst for the Indiana Fever. She also serves as an analyst for men’s and women’s college basketball for ESPN and CBS and is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in women’s basketball. Across her more than 35 years as a broadcaster, Antonelli has been a trailblazer in her field by using her platform to grow and promote women’s basketball. Antonelli served as the first Director of Marketing at the University of Kentucky, where she created and broadcasted the first women’s basketball games on television at UK. She later became the first woman in 22 years to call NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games as an analyst throughout the first and second rounds in 2017.
Her work has earned her two Emmy Awards and a Gracie Award, an induction into the NC State Women’s Basketball Ring of Honor, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Antonelli is also a recipient of the Mel Greenburg Award from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for her commitment to women’s basketball and to advancing the role of the media in promoting the women’s game, a Jake Wade Award Recipient, for her contribution in the media to intercollegiate athletics, and is a Curt Gowdy Media Award Recipient from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Antonelli is also the founder and host of an annual fundraiser called 24 Hours Nothing but Net, a 24-hour free throw shooting marathon to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics created in 2019. She makes 100 free throws every hour and ends with 2,400 at the end of the marathon. Since the program began, she has raised over $1.4 million for Special Olympics Programs. Antonelli also created a post-secondary educational program called Elevate at North Carolina State for students with Intellectual Disabilities which gives students a chance to have a college experience with life skill classes.
State of Sports is an annual fundraiser and community-impact program that celebrates the transformative role of sports across Indiana. New this year, tickets are available for individuals at just $25, the lowest price Indiana Sports Corp has ever offered. State of Sports serves as a platform to highlight the organization’s mission to enrich the lives of Hoosiers through sports, while recognizing the individuals and organizations whose contributions have made a lasting impact. The 2025 program will feature powerful storytelling, inspirational moments, and a forward-looking vision of how sports will continue to power the state and its communities.
For more information about the 2025 State of Sports, visit IndianaSportsCorp.org/StateOfSports.