It’s not often that journalists find themselves in the news. But ESPN’s WNBA sideline reporter found herself in talks unexpectedly after an emotional tribute she gave before the Indiana Fever-Toronto Tempo game on Wednesday (August 19) in Canada.
The reason Holly Rowe has found herself in the discussion is twofold. First, she was tearful on camera after seeing the attendance at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto– a record 19,000. Second, in the video she posted crying, she did not mention Caitlin Clark – the Indiana Fever star- as one of the reasons why so many people turned up. Many Caitlin Clark fans beefed with Rowe over the omission.
“I’m trying to work a basketball game tonight,” the longtime women’s sports reporter said in the live video she recorded and shared on social media before her sideline assignment started.
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“But I keep crying because look at what they have built,” she said. “I literally cannot quit crying to do my job right now. I mean, we have 19,000 people coming tonight to watch women’s basketball, and I’m just so proud.”
The discussion around Row has sparked a lot of interest in her family. The 60-year-old is unmarried and has raised her son, McKylin Jordan Rowe, as a single mother.
Holly Rowe Family: Who Is Her Son, McKylin Jordan Rowe?
Holly Rowe is a single mother and has spoken about her experience of raising her son, McKylin Jordan, on her own. Holly Rowe is originally from Utah, where she grew up with her parents, Del and Diane Rowe, and her siblings. Through her years of covering Oklahoma State University games, she gave an interview to the university in which she described her family as “great.”
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The 60-year-old journalists immediate family, however, comprises only his son, McKylin Jordan. In a 2020 ESPN profile, Rowe said her favorite athlete was Michael Jordan and explained that she had named her son McKylin Jordan after him.
Public biographies identify him as an actor, writer and producer, with credits including American Underdog and various independent productions. He also has worked with his mother on the “Call Your Mom” podcast.
Rowe currently lives in Florida, according to ESPN’s 2020 profile, which listed her residence as Treasure Island. But she has spoken about being very much in touch with her extended family in Utah.
When Holly Rowe Broke Up Over Pat Summit
Though she has never named names, in a 2025 appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club, Rowe revealed how she broke up with her “Mr. Switzerland bodybuilder” boyfriend after he made some comments about legendary women’s basketball coach, Pat Summit.
“I had a really hot boyfriend, Rowe had said. “And he was Mr. Switzerland, bodybuilder. We dated for four years. And when I say smoking hot. … And the reason we broke up was we were at the ESPYS. And Pat Summitt had just gotten this award – the Arthur Ashe Courage Award – because she had just been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. And I’m in the audience and I’m just bawling at the ESPYS.
“And he asked me, ‘What’s wrong with you? She’s just a coach.’ And so we broke up. I gave up Mr. Switzerland because of Pat Summitt. This is a true story.”
