Will Mia Hamm ham it up on TV?

Boosted by its acclaimed coverage of the 2010 men’s World Cup, ESPN is going all-in for the women’s version, which begins Sunday and has the added benefit of an American team that could win it all.

Its analyst roster includes four players from the 1999 Cup-winning U.S. squad as well as its coach, Tony DiCicco. The most intriguing (and recent) addition was that team's biggest star, Mia Hamm, who will contribute to the web site espnW and make TV appearances.

Hmm. Hamm, who has 4-year-old twin daughters with her husband, ESPN analyst Nomar Garciaparra, always has had a reputation for being shy and soft spoken. Might she pursue a media career?

“I don’t know,’’ she said. “I’m always open to sharing my love for the game. We’ll see. ESPN could say, ‘Thank you very much. We’ve enjoyed it. But no thank you.’

“I’m going to do my best and we’ll see how it goes.’’