Elle Duncan closed a professional chapter this week. The longtime SportsCenter anchor hosted her final show, stepping away from ESPN as she prepares to become the face of Netflix’s expanding sports coverage. But like most careers that last, hers didn’t start under bright lights, and it doesn’t fit neatly into a single box. Here is everything you need to know about Elle Duncan.

What is Elle Duncan’s ethnicity?

Her full name is Elle Lauren Duncan. She was born in the United States and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the city that shaped her and launched her career. She has always been clear about how she identifies.

“There are people who currently watch my show every day and think I’m Hispanic. I am not. I am Black,” she told Essence.

What is Elle Duncan’s religion?

Questions about her religion come up, too, though Duncan has never made that a public topic. Some biographical profiles list her as Christian, but she hasn’t spoken openly about her faith in interviews or on social media. By her own approach, that part of her life stays private, and any details remain unconfirmed by Duncan herself.

Elle Duncan’s career so far

Duncan got her start the old-fashioned way, as an intern at 790/The Zone. She spent a year learning the rhythms of sports radio before moving to V-103, where she worked on The Ryan Cameron Show as an on-air correspondent.

At the same time, she began working on the sidelines, covering the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Falcons. She freelanced on ACC and SEC football broadcasts, picking up reps wherever she could find them. From 2012 to 2014, she worked at WXIA-TV as a traffic reporter.

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In 2014, Duncan took a significant step forward, joining NESN. She became a host on live programming, reported on sports news, and co-hosted NESN Live alongside Sarah Davis. It was a bigger stage and a broader role, and she handled both.

That period was busy. While at NESN, Duncan also reported for the Boston Red Sox and covered major events, including Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona. That same year, she even made a brief jump into film, appearing as a reporter in Ride Along, starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.

Two years later, in 2016, Duncan joined ESPN. She became a SportsCenter anchor, a familiar and steady presence for viewers, night after night. And now, with her final show behind her, she’s moving on to the next assignment.

Elle Duncan’s life outside the studio

Duncan is married and has two children, and the balance matters to her. She and her husband both describe themselves as free spirits, the kind of people who feel better with a trip on the calendar. Travel is part of how she resets. So is taking care of herself in quieter ways, keeping close to the people she loves, hosting friends, and sitting down for long dinners.

When she needs something more grounding, she turns to therapy. She’s open about it. Duncan admits she can be inconsistent, and she’s made peace with that. It doesn’t bother her the way it once might have. It’s part of who she is.

“Knowing when you need real help, when you need a laugh, when you need a moment, when you need a couple of days. Trying to recognize and listen to what your body needs and then finding the support that way,” she said.

Elle Duncan as a role model for young black women

There were moments in her career that carried extra weight, whether she asked for it or not. Becoming one of the first Black women to host her own sports show in Boston, a city that remains predominantly white, was one of them. She understood what it represented.

“I want to make sure all women have representation at the table and not just ones that look like me that can check a few boxes for a network. Making sure that all Black women are perceived in the same way and given the same ability and opportunities that I’ve been given is important to me,” she said.

Duncan isn’t stepping away from sports. If anything, she’s settling more fully into who she is within it. She’ll remain a familiar voice and presence for a long time, and she won’t stop standing up for what she believes in along the way.