Katy Winge ’15 is a reporter, host, and analyst for Denver-based regional sports network Altitude TV. She is in her sixth season covering the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and will be in the building when the team makes its first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals.
Winge’s career in sports media has included previous roles with FOX Sports, the Big Ten Network, and NBC Sports Chicago, but it all began at Illinois State, where the former Redbird women’s basketball standout gained experience through a variety of campus roles with TV-10, 103.3 FM-WZND, and Redbird Productions (now Redbird Creative). She double majored in marketing and broadcast journalism.
In the days leading up to the NBA Finals—Game 1 between the Nuggets and the Miami Heat is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC—Winge reflected on her time at Illinois State and her coverage of the Nuggets during the team’s historic run to the Finals.
What’s your role with Altitude TV?
Reporter, host, and analyst is my official title, but I like to think that I’m kind of like that utility player that can be plugged in and fulfill any role at a high level, and I love the versatility that comes along with that. I’m hosting pregame, halftime, and postgame during the regular season. Right now, we’re doing YouTube Live, and I’m hosting those. And then throughout the season, I get a chance to call a handful of games as an analyst. I work in-studio as an analyst, and I also get to do some sideline reporting, so I’m kind of all over the place, but I enjoy it.
What’s the job like?
I’m a bridge between the team and the fans, so it’s my job to ask great questions that allow fans to see not just the player but the person behind the uniform. It’s easy to see these guys and look at their numbers and their stats and their shooting percentages and all those things. But for me, it’s about what makes them tick. I have the access to them that not a lot of journalists have, and that’s really where I’ve found my niche—knowing these people on a deeper level and being able to bring out their personalities and share them with basketball fans.
What’s this season been like?
This year has been so fun—and even without the playoff run that they’re having right now. Watching this all come together and the Nuggets find the success that they did during the regular season—finishing first in the Western Conference and earning and proving they deserve that spot, watching Jamal Murray come back from injury, watching Nikola Jokić make a case to be a three-time MVP—the characters, the personalities, and the people who are on and around this team make my job so much fun, and make my job so easy in terms of storytelling and connecting these players to this fanbase.
I’ve been with this team for six seasons now, so I’ve been able to watch this grow from the ground up. I’ve been able to see some of these guys since their rookie seasons, or their first or second years in the NBA, and see who they were then and who they are now, and that part is so rewarding for me. Not a lot of people get to see the work that goes on behind the scenes or see what the day-to-day looks like for these guys, and having the opportunity to have that perspective makes it so rewarding for me.
What’s a typical day look like for you?
You’ll have to be more specific because every day is so different! But a regular-season game day is getting up in the morning, reading the news clips and tweets, just kind of seeing what is happening around the NBA and with this team. Then I’ll typically go to shootaround if the team is on the road and we’ll typically talk to a player or two to get some sound for our pregame show, but we’re also looking for social media content because people constantly want that. After that, I’ll usually get in a workout or do something for myself to try to disconnect. But then it’s game prep for whatever role I’m doing that night: if I’m hosting, I’m going through our pregame rundowns; if I’m an analyst, I’m maybe watching film from the last time the two teams met or going over my boards; if I’m sideline reporting, I’m going over any stories I’ve found. And then I’m putting on a face of makeup and heading to the arena. I usually try to get to the arena for a 7 p.m. game around 4:30. We’ll have our production meeting, go over last-minute details, hear from both head coaches, watch the warmups, and then it’s showtime.
Did your time at Illinois State prepare you for this role?
Yes! The foundation that all of this was built from were the classes I took at ISU and the programs I was involved in—especially the basketball part of it. I wouldn’t have the knowledge of the game that I do now had I not played at the Division I level and been a captain and a leader and have those opportunities to grow. TV-10 gave me an opportunity to get some reps on camera and kind of make my mistakes in a safe space and start to develop my voice and practice being on camera. It was hard work because being an athlete is a full-time job in a lot of ways, but I had the freedom to do that, and that was the beginning of where I am today.
Bonus question: Any bold predictions for the NBA Finals?
With the Nuggets having home court advantage—they’ve been tremendous at home and haven’t lost at home in the playoffs—I think they’re going to be really tough. So, I’m envisioning a parade in Denver, Colorado.
