At 23, Wendell Epps is making his mark as the new voice of the Minnesota Lynx

CATHY WURZER: It was a sold out crowd at Target Center for the Lynx-Fever game with Caitlin Clark in town. It was an exciting game. The Lynx were off to a hot start. Take a listen.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- It's a Lynx. It's a Fever. It's Sunday afternoon hoops in downtown Minneapolis as we are officially underway from Target Center. Indiana controls the opening tip. Clark has it as he immediately turns it over.

It's intercepted by Alana Smith. And she's going to take it and score it. Let them know how it's done, Alana Smith. And welcome to Target Center, Caitlin Clark. Your Minnesota Lynx off to a quick 2-nothing lead.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Yeah. The Lynx ended the third quarter with a seven point lead, but the Fever fought back, winning the game 81-74. The voice you just heard calling all the action on KFAN is a new one, Wendell Epps. He's also the first Black man to do play-by-play for the Lynx. Wendell is on the line. Congratulations.

WENDELL EPPS: Thank you very much, Cathy. I really appreciate it.

CATHY WURZER: Hey, I can only imagine the atmosphere in the house last night. Describe it.

WENDELL EPPS: It was crazy. I mean, this was one of the most highly-anticipated games, if not the most highly-anticipated game of the season, talking about Caitlin Clark being in the building. As soon as I walked in, I saw nothing but just a bunch of jerseys rolling around, bunch of fans in the building. The atmosphere was great from start to finish.

And you know, the Fever were the last team in the WNBA that we got to face this season. So it was such a fun game. I was truly blessed to be a part of it. And obviously, it was an exciting one to call.

CATHY WURZER: Now, I think I just screwed your name up. Wendell, is that right?

WENDELL EPPS: Yeah. Wendell Epps. It's all right. A lot of people always say Wendell, so-- but it's Wendell. You're all good.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Just want to make sure that I got that right. You, my friend, are just 23 years old. And I cannot think of the last person that I have seen in this business your age who's gotten to this point in his or her career so early. That is pretty impressive. How did you start out?

WENDELL EPPS: Yeah, so it all started-- honestly, I've known I wanted to do something in sports broadcasting since I was actually 10 years old. But it was when I was a sophomore in high school I took my first ever broadcast journalism class. And I got introduced to being in front of the camera, and I instantly fell in love with it. And then by my senior year of high school, I had actually started my own podcast. So I got experience producing, editing, hosting a podcast there.

Then when I went to college over at High Point University in North Carolina, where I became the play-by-play voice for the team my freshman year at 18 years old and became the voice for all my four years there and did a couple internships at Fox Sports, NBC affiliate news station, and then eventually got my first crack last year straight out of school with the Orlando Magic as a radio graduate associate. So worked a full year in the NBA and then literally right in the middle of the playoffs went straight here to Minnesota. Left Orlando early to come here for this amazing opportunity with the Lynx and fortunate enough for these opportunities.

It's a blessing. The organization is great. And you know, I just hope that, you know, I can use my age as just sort of an edge to give me even more energy and just be a big source of inspiration and hope for the entire Minnesota community.

CATHY WURZER: I've done play-by-play only once in my career, super hard. Women's basketball. I had a horrible time, and I just went back to political reporting. So did you-- did you pattern yourself after anybody? Or did you sit in the stands and practice play-by-play? Because this is a very hard thing to do.

WENDELL EPPS: It definitely is. Honestly, the way that I practice was as a kid, I'd be playing video games in my living room or my bedroom, wherever it was, and I would just have, you know, the TV on, and I would be pretending like I was announcing the game. I would just put my-- put my play-by-play announcer hat on. And even my mom-- and she's right about this, when she tells me this. You know, she'll be walking over to the kitchen and I do play-by-play of all her movements.

Mom's opening the fridge. Is she's going to go for the mustard or the ketchup? She's going for the ketchup in a surprising twist. So it's honestly like I'm-- it's just one of those things where, every day, I find myself always, you know, pretending like I'm an announcer, because it's just-- it's just so ingrained in my brain now.

It's my job. It's what I do on a daily basis, but it's the best thing ever. I love play-by-play so much.

CATHY WURZER: How do you keep up the enthusiasm? I mean, you are infectious. Your energy is infectious. It just leaps right through. And I can hear it right now.

WENDELL EPPS: Yeah, for sure. I mean, for me, a lot of it, honestly, is just natural. I genuinely love sports. I have a great passion for this. I know how fortunate enough I am to be in the position I am right now, you know, having just turned 23. So I don't take it for granted.

And for me, it's like-- I haven't even looked at any of these games that I've done as work. Honestly, this is a hobby for me. It's a fun thing to do. And you know, the fact that I get paid to do it, I get some recognition, that's an added bonus.

But for me, it's-- I'm having fun. And as long as I'm having fun, you're always going to hear that energy when you hear me on the air.

CATHY WURZER: Right. So I wonder, you know, there are some folks who still don't know about the Lynx. I mean, we were watching the Timberwolves' incredible playoff run. Some folks might not be as much into the Lynx. Now, what would you say to them to get them watching and listening?

WENDELL EPPS: I would say the Minnesota Lynx are, without a doubt, the most underrated team right now in the WNBA. They have been all season long. I mean, we just won the Commissioner's Cup Championship, which is the WNBA'S version of the in-season tournament, and we knocked off the New York Liberty. We have so many great basketball players. But I think even the bigger thing, and you can find this out by listening to our new podcast that we just launched, and I'm actually the host of called Lynx Unleashed. All of our episodes are on YouTube and SoundCloud.

You can feel that these players, their personalities, their great energy, their-- a lot of enthusiasm. they're very funny. And I just say just watch this Lynx team, because they're a group that they're going to make you smile when you watch them play. And when you hear them talk, you're going to have even more appreciation for them.

CATHY WURZER: They got a shot at the title this year?

WENDELL EPPS: Yeah. Yeah, I think we do. I really do. I think once-- we haven't had Napheesa Collier the past couple games, which is a pretty big reason why we lost yesterday's game against the Fever, unfortunately. But Phee is, without a doubt in my mind, she's a top five player in this league. And I still think if she keeps playing the way she is, she has a shot of potentially being the MVP.

So I think as long as she stays healthy, we have the sharpshooter. And Kayla McBride. Bridget Carleton is having herself a career year. As long as those players can stay healthy and stay consistent, I think the sky's the limit for us.

CATHY WURZER: Now, did you just say that you were doing a podcast, too? I mean, what don't you do? That's a lot of--

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

WENDELL EPPS: I don't sleep. I don't sleep, Cathy. That's the one thing I don't do during the season.

CATHY WURZER: Get in line, my friend. Yeah. If you're in this business, you don't sleep a whole lot. Oh, my lord. So you're doing all of that, as well, so play-by-play, on air on KFAN, and then all the-- a lot of the digital content then.

WENDELL EPPS: Yeah, that was a big part of what they were looking for when they were hiring for this position. And that was something that I embraced, because where I was previously in Orlando, I did a little bit of everything. I was producing. I was editing. I was hosting pre-game shows.

I was doing play-by-play for our G League team down in Osceola, sideline reporting. I was doing social media content. So in this business, you have to wear multiple hats, and that's how you're able to move up the ranks. So fortunately enough, you know, here with Minnesota, they've given me the tools and resources. And I've just ran with them and just went ahead and tried to get the best content as possible, because these Lynx fans deserve it.

CATHY WURZER: I know that you're loving what you're doing, but I know that you're probably got your eyes on some other things. What's the ultimate goal for you? What would be the magic wand? If someone were to wave it over your head here, Wendell, and say, this is your dream job, what would that be?

WENDELL EPPS: Yeah, it's a great question. I mean, for me right now, I'm definitely enjoying the ride. I've already achieved-- I always wanted to work in the NBA. That was-- been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and I already just did that with the Magic. But I'd love to obviously be doing play-by-play at some point back in the NBA, would love to be on national television, would also love to dive into some other sports, like football, soccer, would love to do like a major sporting event.

I was watching the Copa America final. And I'm still imagining what would it be like if I was actually doing play-by-play for that. But also, you know, more than anything, I just want to-- I just want to make inspiration in this business. You know, you had said, obviously, and I know it's something that I've been reminded of a lot, of being the first Black announcer here with the Minnesota Lynx.

But also I'm half Peruvian, so I'm also the first Hispanic, person of Hispanic descent as well to be on the air for the Lynx. So it's one of those things where I just want to continue to inspire people. And as long as my story can be a source of hope and it can be a source of reason, then you know, that's going to be leading to great things for sure.

CATHY WURZER: Wendell, you are an inspiration. And I love listening to you. Oh, my goodness. It's been just really a delight to talk with you today. Thank you, and best of luck.

WENDELL EPPS: Thank you so much, Cathy. Appreciate it.

CATHY WURZER: Wendell Epps is the Lynx play-by-play announcer. You want to hear him? He's on KFAN, the FAN, K-F-A-N. And also, of course, he's online. He's everywhere, which is great.