I understand that at times coaches get heated, and there are things they don't really want to talk about. As a sideline reporter, you're in the line of fire, and I just got lit up once. And that's fine.
Maria Taylor
I didn't want to just be an analyst for women's basketball and volleyball. I didn't just want to be a sideline reporter. I didn't just want to be a host. I wanted to be someone that my producers or coordinating producers could call on me for any event, any subject matter or any role.
The best thing that you can do to break down any of the barriers that women face in sports is to be over prepared - know your value, but also know the subject matter that you're covering.
I learned that all you need to do is be yourself.
I think it's so important as a woman, and especially as a minority, to lift as you climb. So having people shadow you or mentoring people - that's important to me.
When we launched the SEC Network, I think I cried.
As difficult as it was to break off the wedding, we wanted to be in a better place together - especially when you go through a life-changing event like a wedding.
I think when I got into broadcasting I told myself, 'I don't ever want to be pigeonholed as one thing.'
You can't believe how different your life can be until you've immersed yourself in faith or given your life up to Christ or decided you have a higher power you want to follow.
For me, I want everything to be easy, breezy, and everyone to have a blast. And I feel like those are all the things that happened regardless of whether or not it was the perfect color scheme or the flower arrangement was this and that.
I've always loved basketball. When you're playing pick-up basketball, you just kind of get used to being one of the guys.
I've been yelled at by coaches since I was 12 years old playing AAU basketball.
I know how great Alabama is. I know how great Coach Nick Saban is, and I enjoy being around his program. I will continue to enjoy being around his program.
I remember when I used to go to coaches' meetings and stuff like that and I would never say anything - I would just sit in a corner and sometimes coaches wouldn't even shake my hand.
I've learned to recognize that I'm in certain rooms for a reason, and I've learned - if I have an opinion or something I want to say - to say those things and not feel afraid about it.
From the beginning, I knew I wanted a beach wedding so I'm thankful looking back that this is how everything turned out.
You always knew there was love, but marriage adds this layer of security. We're going through our life together, forever.
I think NBA fans are some of the smartest you'll ever come around. They are very invested.
You have to be able to deep dive and know your stuff, otherwise you'll get called out on it.
No one cares about anything until it's something that goes viral. It's most certainly frustrating.
But as a reporter, that's how you know you're doing a good job - when no one's talking about you. And something has gone wrong if they are.
It's just been this incredible steady climb, but I've seen a company that believes in me and has let me make mistakes, has let me grow and evolve and try and find new and inventive ways to use me. I feel like I came up through the farm system.
Like yes, I was part of a launch of an entire cable television network and we all worked so hard getting prepared for it and rehearsed so many times.
Nobody is going to tell me that I can't do three games in a week. No one is going to tell me that I can't do it well. I'm going to work really hard at it. I get bored if I don't have 10,000 things on my plate.
My faith is everything. It's the bedrock, the foundation and the core of who I am.
At the end of the day, we should all be trying to spread love and positivity, and that's what faith continues to do for me. It keeps me balanced.
Social media has changed everything. Since we're talking about what we do when we wake up and posting it, we're talking about where we go on Sundays. It's not just about where you work anymore. It's about your life.
Nobody is following us around and primping us or telling you what questions to ask. You have to keep your eyes open.
I work out more during a full four hours of a football game than I ever do in my workouts.
I would say from top to bottom, the SEC is strongest. Every now and then, another conference is going to have a great number one team. But week in and week out, having to play a really tough schedule that's preparing you for the postÂseason, there's no better conference than the SEC.
I'm energized by this idea that's live television. In the same way as an athlete when they get on the field or on the court, you have to perform in that moment or it's past you and you've missed.
