Edona Thaqi rises from Stamford basketball courts to the WNBA broadcast stage, building a voice
Edona Thaqi found sanctuary in 94-foot-long, 50-foot-wide rectangles. On basketball courts throughout Stamford, the American daughter of immigrants from Kosovo discovered passion, purpose and a lasting community.
“She was very shy when we first met,’’ says Liz Grosso, a longtime friend and teammate. “When we started playing AAU in Stamford, she would always get to the gym early and warm up by herself, running laps and not really talking to anybody. It wasn’t until we all started getting to know each other that she came out of her shell.”
Thaqi’s rise began on courts in Stamford, where she developed her game at Westhill High School. After graduating in 2016, she went on to play Division I basketball at Fordham University. While there, she built a foundation in broadcasting that bridged her on-court experience with off-court analysis and reporting. She went on to work in basketball media and development. Today, Thaqi is a reporter and analyst for the Women’s National Basketball Association on the USA Sports network, which began televising games in May and will continue through the much-anticipated playoff games in September.
Broadcasting Break
Thaqi’s broadcasting break was a fortuitous bounce in her basketball career. She graduated from Fordham University with a degree in economics, and later earned a master’s degree in media management. She had zero experience in front of a camera or behind a microphone.
“Like any college kid, I was just trying to get a foot in the door,’’ Thaqi says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do at that point. I just knew I wanted to be around the game in some capacity.”
Kathleen Reidy, a former Fordham player who works in broadcasting for the National Basketball Association, encouraged Thaqi to interview for a broadcasting assistant role. “I had no idea what the job entailed,’’ Thaqi says. “Katheen told me I would either love it or hate it, but now was the time to find out.”
Thaqi landed the behind-the-scenes position, which involved serving as liaison in the NBA’s broadcasting operations center, writing detailed recaps for national TV games and learning the media landscape from the ground floor. During a Brooklyn Nets game where she worked as a timeout coordinator, Thaqi met Sarah Kustok, who a few years earlier had become the first female analyst for an NBA team.
“When I saw her preparing, a lightbulb went on. I thought, ‘I want to do that’,’’ Thaqi says. “But I was afraid to admit it because I felt I was behind. I didn’t go to college for this. I didn’t have the reps. But Sarah immediately made me feel like I could do it, even when I didn’t fully see it in myself. She was so encouraging and so willing to share her experiences and advice. That had a huge impact early in my journey.”
Kustok remembers her initial impression of Thaqi.
“The one thing that stood out was her energy, warmth and attitude of gratefulness,’’ she says. “She’ll be successful at anything she puts her mind to because she is committed; her work ethic is second to none; and she has a positive attitude that resonates with anyone she’s around.”
Thaqi worked that position for two years and then landed roles as an analyst and commentator for WNBA games and the Connecticut Sun. USA Sports announced in January 2026 that Thaqi would join its national team for the WNBA. Kustok is also part of the USA Sports team.
Brian Kriftcher has known Edona for about 15 years, having coached her at Stamford Peace AAU and Westhill. He recognized her discipline and work ethic early on, particularly during her frequent visits to his office. “She was always going to outwork anybody,’’ Kriftcher says. “When preparing for games, her work was off the charts. Your potential is your potential, but how close you get to realizing its fullness is a question of work ethic.”
Injuries and challenges
Few people appreciate Thaqi’s broadcasting ascent more than Kriftcher, who started working with her when she was a shy fifth grader with the Stamford Peace AAU elite travel basketball program. He witnessed her blossoming into a standout player, and the challenges she encountered after three ACL injuries derailed her playing career.
“From the beginning, there was just something about her,’’ says Kriftcher, who started Stamford Peace nearly two decades ago. The nonprofit organization uses basketball instruction, travel teams and clinics to teach student-athletes life skills, academic responsibility and citizenship. “She showed athletic promise and skills beyond her years, but she was also a quiet kid. I dare say the Stamford Peace experience unleashed in her this sort of self-confidence, and friendships that she had the entire time. She has taken off and run with it.”
Thaqi appeared headed for a Division I basketball opportunity after her junior year at Westhill. Then, her first torn ACL injury came during a summer AAU tournament at the height of the college basketball recruiting season. When she suffered another torn ACL the following year, her college basketball plans were thwarted.
“The first injury was devastating,’’ Grosso says. “She had her heart set on college basketball, and she didn’t want this to put her behind in any capacity. But through the adversity, I watched her persevere, and she never lost sight of the dream of playing in college.”
Thaqi selected UConn Stamford to begin her college journey and then played for a year at UConn Avery Point before finishing her playing career at Fordham, where she eventually earned a scholarship. But on the cusp of earning significant playing time for the Division I Rams, a third ACL injury forced her to the sidelines for the final time. This type of injury is not uncommon in women’s basketball, but three ACL tears take an extraordinary toll.
“They weren’t all identical plays, but they came from similar basketball movements, a quick change of direction followed by an awkward landing,’’ Thaqi remembers. “That’s the part that makes injuries so difficult mentally. They can happen during something you do constantly in practice.”
The forced time on the bench helped Thaqi see the game in a different light. “I was able to see the game from multiple perspectives,’’ she says. “I’ve been a player coming off the bench. I’ve been relied on as a go-to player. I’ve also been injured and forced to watch from the sidelines. Each of those situations gave me a different lens.”
Watching basketball from these points of view has been beneficial to her blossoming broadcasting career. “Calling a game gives me many of the same feelings I had as a player. There’s the adrenaline rush, the preparation, the anticipation before tipoff. It even helps with the scouting report, because you’re studying tendencies the same way I would when I was playing in college and high school,’’ she says. “The difference now is viewing the game through a wider lens, and communicating those details and emotions to the audience.”
Authentic Edona
With just a few years of experience, there is no telling how far the Westhill High grad can climb in the competitive broadcasting field. “There’s a lot of room for improvement,’’ Thaqi says. “Communication is a huge part of my job. I know it sounds a little basic, but it’s learning how to simplify and convey ideas in a way that someone who doesn’t know basketball at a high level can easily digest. I want to continue to grow as a storyteller and be versatile across all different roles.”
Her supporters have no doubt she’ll go far.
“Edona’s a really great teammate to everyone around her,” Kustok says. “That quality has allowed her to move very quickly as a broadcaster.”
Thaqi has outgrown the shyness of her younger days, and her friends find that maturation wonderful to behold. “Her personality has never changed, and that’s what makes her so beautiful,” says Grosso. “What you see is what you get. She’s 1,000 percent authentic, and that’s what makes her special. She makes friends with everybody and can connect with strangers wherever we go. And you can really see that in her work.”
A Home Court That’s Half a World Away
Edona Thaqi built her basketball career in Stamford. Her legacy, however, is becoming established thousands of miles away. Each summer, she travels to Kosovo to lead a basketball camp for young players. She also played on the Kosovo National Team in the 2022 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries.
While she’s a Stamford native, Thaqi maintains dual citizenship with the United States and Kosovo. Her parents, Hatman and Meta, emmigrated to the U.S. in 1985 with her two older siblings amid social unrest in the Southeast European nation. “I try to visit whenever my schedule allows,’’ she says. “The basketball camp is one of the most meaningful parts of what I do.”
She established the camp with assistance from Brian Kriftcher, her former coach at Stamford Peace AAU. The Kosovo Heritage Basketball Academy trains more than 400 players with a mission to educate, empower and inspire young athletes. “Edona’s Albanian heritage is very important to her,’’ says Kriftcher.
Kriftcher says the goals of the academy in Kosovo are “not to discover the next LeBron James, but to give people a better outcome than they might otherwise have had because of the intersection of sport and mentorship.”
While her promising career as a basketball broadcaster takes flight, Thaqi also promises to continue to carve out time for young players in Kosovo.
“Coach K was the first person to help me see that vision, fully invest in helping it come to life,’’ Thaqi says. “He helped get it off the ground and running, and I will always be grateful for that. The camp is a way for me to give back. I became very aware of how fortunate I am and the opportunities I have in America, and I feel a responsibility
Predictions for the WNBA Season
After 23 years, the Sun sets on the WNBA’s Connecticut franchise this year. The Sun will relocate to Houston, leaving the state without a major sports franchise. “I think the move to Houston makes business sense, but it’s still sad for Connecticut fans because the Sun weren’t a failing franchise, They were one of the league’s most respected teams,’’ says Thaqi, who earlier this year joined the USA Sports team covering the WNBA. “Connecticut has such a strong women’s basketball culture that it feels strange to lose a team with that history.”
The Mohegan Tribe announced last year it planned to sell the team to reduce its debt burden. The tribe purchased the team in 2003 and relocated it from Orlando.
“At this point, I’m not shocked they’re leaving, since rumors had been around, and the league’s growth made bigger markets more attractive financially, but I am a little surprised the WNBA couldn’t find a way to keep a team in New England,’’ Thaqi says. “Houston is a logical destination, though.”
The Las Vegas Aces, who have won three of the last four league titles, face a tough road in trying to extend their dynasty. “It’s hard to bet against a core led by A’ja Wilson,’’ Thaqi says of the four-time league MVP. “The New York Liberty has star power and a talented roster, too. Minnesota is a tough defensive matchup, and they have good chemistry. I think the Atlanta Dream will surprise a lot of people, and Indiana has a high ceiling if Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell can stay healthy.”
WNBA games will be televised through September on USA Sports with double-headers every Wednesday night. USA Sports’ WNBA coverage includes dedicated pre-game, halftime and postgame studio programming. The network will also present first-round playoff games and up to five WNBA Finals games. —S.T.