JESSICA BENSON

Jessica Benson serves as a sports anchor and reporter at WATN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Memphis, TN. There she covers the University of Memphis, the SEC, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Cardinals' AAA team, the Memphis Redbirds, the United Soccer League and the ongoing battle of what BBQ restaurant is the best in Memphis.

Along with her regular sportscasts, she reports for "The Mike Norvell Show," "Golf In The Mid-South" and the market's most comprehensive high school preps show, "Sonic High School Sports Blast."

Jessica believes that the perfect GIF can make or break a tweet. That's helped her grow the largest social media following of the local TV sports anchors and reporters in the Memphis market. 

Prior to her time in Memphis, Jessica was the Sports Director and Weekday Sports Anchor for KNDU-TV and SWX in the Tri-Cities, WA.

She's also worked with USCFootball.com, ESPN's "SportsNation," NBC at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the Rose Bowl (2012-14), the 2014 BCS National Championship Game and NBC Nightly News.

Jessica graduated Summa Cum Laude from USC with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and minors in Sports Media Studies and Popular Music Studies.  While at USC, Jessica served as an Executive Producer for Annenberg TV News, the school's student-run nightly news program.  She was also a reporter and a sports anchor for ATVN.

Once upon a time, Jessica worked as a ball-girl for the 2004, '05 and '06 NCAA Finals Fours and had the privilege of wiping up sweat off the court from future hall of fame coaches Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun and Billy Donovan.  She is not opposed to becoming the first adult ball-girl so that she could live a happy life underneath the basket during March Madness.