Popular television personality Zora Stephenson moving on from Milwaukee Bucks

Zora Stephenson is moving on from the Milwaukee Bucks.

The team announced Thursday in a social media post that the popular television personality is taking on an "exciting announcer position with a national network starting later this summer."

In addition to her duties with the Bucks, Stephenson has worked for NBC Sports, including covering the Olympics, Notre Dame football and the United States Football League. Stephenson said on Friday that she is remaining at NBC.

Stephenson was hired by the Bucks in 2019 to replace Katie George, who was hired by the ACC Network. Stephenson had previously worked as an Emmy Award-winning news reporter and anchor at Fox affiliate KDVR-TV in Denver and Colorado’s Own Channel 2.

Stephenson, who played basketball at Elon College, became a fan favorite doing sideline reports during broadcasts of Bucks games on Fox Sports Wisconsin and later Bally Sports Wisconsin. She also did digital features for the team's website and hosted community events.

Stephenson was on the air on Aug. 26, 2020, broadcasting from Fiserv Forum, when Bucks players voted to sit out a playoff game in the NBA "bubble" in Florida to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha. Stephenson blended news reports and personal narrative during the live broadcast that made powerful viewing.

When the Bucks played the Charlotte Hornets on April 9, 2021, Stephenson made history by becoming the first female to handle play-by-play duties for any of the major men’s sports in Wisconsin. A few months later, the Bucks hired Lisa Byington to be the first full-time female play-by-play announcer for a major men's professional sports team.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Zora Stephenson is leaving Milwaukee Bucks