(Bloomberg) -- Maria Taylor, the ESPN anchor who a colleague suggested may have been promoted because she is Black, is leaving the network after talks to renew her contract failed.

The Walt Disney Co.-owned channel said in a joint statement with Taylor Wednesday that her final broadcast was Tuesday’s NBA championship.

“There is no doubt we will miss Maria, but we remain determined to continue to build a deep and skilled talent roster that thoroughly reflects the athletes we cover and the fans we serve,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the statement.

Taylor, who joined the network in 2014 as a college sports analyst and reporter, had been a host of the “NBA Countdown” program in addition to offering football commentary.

A colleague, Rachel Nichols, was recorded during a private conversation suggesting that Taylor’s promotion was an effort on the part of the network to meet diversity goals. Nichols apologized to Taylor and her colleagues.

The New York Post reported that Taylor recently turned down a significant salary increase from ESPN and is headed to NBC.

In the statement announcing her departure, Taylor thanked “the people who believed in me, encouraged me, pushed me and lifted me up,” adding that “words are inadequate to express my boundless appreciation, and I hope to make them proud.”

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