Producing stories at ESPN

March 26, 2026

The notification came as a bit of a shock to Karina Mattera '19.

Mattera, an associate producer in the event production department at ESPN, published a social media post highlighting a feature she produced celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). 

Tennis legend Billie Jean King founded the WTA in 1973 to create a unified tour and better, more equal opportunities, and the video showcased today's tennis stars thanking King for her leadership and determination. Venus Williams thanked her. Coco Gauff thanked her. Victoria Azarenka thanked her. 

The social media alert that surprised Mattera was a note of gratitude and appreciation for the video. 

It was from Billie Jean King. 

"To have that sort of interaction with an icon of women’s sports was an unreal moment for me," Mattera said.

Connecting with social icons is not a daily occurrence for Mattera, but telling athletes' compelling stories is. Mattera joined ESPN in 2019 after graduating from MCLA and has spent the past six-plus years producing features, creating visual elements, field producing, and interviewing athletes all over the country.

She is particularly drawn to women's sports coverage and loves working on tennis, college softball, and college volleyball. 

"There’s something that feels different and special about working on a women’s sport that is growing," she said. "To me it means more that I put in the work every day to tell these athletes stories because they don’t have their stories heard often, or ever. Growing a sport is fun, and we very much get to be a part of it on the media side."

Mattera was a production assistant when she started at ESPN, working on shows like SportsCenter and NFL Live. She was promoted in 2022 to a content associate position, allowing her to focus more on event coverage ranging from college football and baseball to major tennis tournaments like Wimbledon and the Australian Open. 

She was promoted to her current position in October. 

Mattera credits her time at MCLA with helping her land at ESPN. 

She came to MCLA to play basketball but was quickly drawn to broadcast journalism — and sports journalism specifically. She wound up covering MCLA teams, games for Williams College, and even local youth sporting events. 

"Because MCLA is a smaller school, I was able to be heavily involved in broadcasting and film early on in my college career." she said. "Whether that was classes or jobs, I was always in the studio doing a show or covering an event. I also was able to do a lot of small video jobs in the town with my MCLA connections. Having such a packed resume certainly helped me get to ESPN."

Time management and working hard were two skills Mattera developed at MCLA, but she also learned the importance of thinking creatively and staying curious. 

"I constantly wanted to learn more in every way possible, and MCLA gave me the chance to do just that," she said. "MCLA has some of the best resources available. Going to a small school in a small town sometimes gives you more opportunities than a larger school. It’s a unique place that should not be taken for granted."

One of Mattera's most impactful classes was a journalism course where she learned a lot of the realities about the broadcast industry. A particular assignment she still remembers was a feature she had to write about a journalist who inspired her. Mattera chose an ESPN host. Little did she know that just a few years later, that host wouldn't just be an inspiration. 

She'd be a colleague.

"I was working with her on SportsCenter and she was reading my game highlights on TV," Mattera said. "It was a full circle moment for sure."

Mattera continues to be grateful for her MCLA experience. The school prepared her for the technical skills needed to thrive in broadcast journalism, but it also helped her develop the mental desire necessary to succeed professionally.

No matter her future path, she is confident in her own determination. That's thanks to MCLA — and Billie Jean King.

"If you don’t love what you’re doing it’s tough to succeed," Mattera said. "You also need to have the drive to be motivated to go above and beyond. You can’t wait around for opportunities, you have to be your biggest advocate."