From Katie Ledecky to Allyson Felix to Mary Lou Retton, many women became household names on the world’s biggest stage.
Power Player
Leylah Fernandez Is Tennis’ New Darling
Leylah Fernandez was a name that few knew of heading into the 2021 US Open Tennis Tournament. Despite losing in a historic final to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu, Fernandez proved that she is a force to be reckoned with.
From Eastern Michigan University To The 2021 NFL Draft, This College Grad Is Making Moves
As a recent graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Elizabeth Toth is poised to make a name for herself in the National Football League.
The GoodSport Interview: Manon Rheaume
In 1992, Manon Rheaume became the first and only woman to play in an NHL game when she tended the crease for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nearly three decades later, she’s still inspiring girls — and boys — to play hockey.
The 10 Best Female Coaches Of All Time
These 10 women are some of the greatest coaches of all time–they have driven their own teams to greatness, and raised the level of play for all of women’s athletics.
GoodSport Q&A: Nneka Ogwumike Isn’t Letting Any Setbacks Slow Her Down
Although Nneka Ogwumike missed out on the Olympics, the L.A. Sparks forward has accomplished quite a bit in 2021. And she isn’t planning to slow down anytime soon.
Football Was Always In The Cards For Falcons Scouting Assistant
Kjahna O’s lifelong love for football has led her down a winding path in the NFL that led to her closer to her dream role of NFL scout.
Jonquel Jones’ WNBA MVP Case Looks Pretty Good, Even As She Misses Games
After a dominant first 10 games, the Connecticut Sun’s Jonquel Jones is the odds-on favorite to win the MVP award this season, according to DraftKings. But Jones will miss four to six games as she competes for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2021 EuroBasket tournament.
Carolyn Petschler’s Brave Journey To The Finish Line
United States Navy veteran and marathoner Carolyn Petschler didn’t let her breast cancer scare keep her down. In preparing for the New York marathon, Petschler is running for more than just herself — she is running for those battling cancer, survivors, and veterans.
NWHL All-Star Balances Hockey With Nursing School
Like most other professional women’s hockey players in the U.S., Hutchison — a forward and assistant captain for the Riveters — hockey isn’t her only focus. She splits her time between New Jersey and Long Island, where she is studying at Stony Brook University to be a pediatric hematology oncology nurse, focusing on children with cancer and rare blood diseases.
Paralympic Partnership: Jessica Long And Haven Shepherd’s Unique Friendship
Jessica Long is one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes there is. As Long prepared for her fifth games in Tokyo, friend and teammate Haven Shepherd was preparing for her first.
‘Ella and the Fellas’: Texas’s Ella Bruning Has Taken the Little League World Series by Storm
A 12-year-old catcher is in a (little) league of her own as the latest in a line of gutsy girls to make history on youth baseball’s biggest stage. But her newfound celebrity has more to do with her stellar play than her gender.
The GoodSport Interview: Justine Siegal
Giving girls a level playing field isn’t just Justine Siegal’s passion. ‘It’s a social justice issue,’ says the barrier-breaking former A’s coach. Her next goal: making women’s baseball an NCAA sport.
From The Olympics To Cobra Kai, Karate Is Having A Moment — And So Is Sakura Kokumai
Sakura Kokumai, the first American to qualify for the Olympic Games in karate, hopes that her inspiring story and performance will help inspire others to fall in love with her sport.
Five American Women With Something To Prove At The Tokyo Olympics
Whether they’re gunning for their first medal — or another gold — one more shot at ultimate glory is the goal for these athletes, who each have unfinished business at the Games.
Four Things To Know About The U.S. Gymnastics Team
As expected, Simone Biles will be leading the charge in Tokyo, joined by three newcomers and two individual specialists on the women’s team.
Celebrating Four Women Nominated For The 2021 Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
The ESPY’s honored athletes who have accomplished greatness during the pandemic in early July. Four women were nominated for the Best Female Athlete ESPY award, which Naomi Osaka eventually took home.
Meet Softball’s Smash Sisters
The hard-hitting Oklahoma Sooners — led by national player of the year Jocelyn Alo and freshman of the year Tiare Jennings — have shattered home-run records and windshields alike this season.
New York Liberty Already On Track For Most Exciting Comeback Season In Franchise History
The New York Liberty had a disappointing 2020 season in the WNBA bubble, only winning two games — their worst season in franchise history. Just a few games into this season, the team already has more wins this year than all of last year as they are making a name for themselves as possibly early title contenders.
How Mizzou Softball Is Finding Success Again Through Championship Culture
Hit with a postseason ban stemming from an academic cheating scandal, Missouri softball was struggling to find motivation and reach its full potential. That is until new head coach Larissa Anderson came in and quickly turned things around.
Women’s Gridiron Foundation Is Bringing Football To A New Generation Of Girls
Women’s Gridiron Foundation CEO Dana Sparling found women’s tackle football when she was 37 years old. She doesn’t want this generation to have to wait that long.
MMA Legend Continues To Evolve Late In Her Career
The MMA world may know Holly Holm best for her viral knockout of Ronda Rousey in 2015, but the former bantamweight champion still has her best days ahead of her.
Lamoureux Twins Retire, But They Aren’t Quite Done With Hockey Yet
Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson have officially retired from professional hockey, but will continue to fight for the players and for equality in the sport at all levels.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks Win Sixth SEC Tournament Title
So much has changed in the year since the South Carolina Gamecocks last won the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, but they still managed to leave the 2021 tournament with another title.
Cornell Coxswain Is Ready To Take On Any Challenge, Even Men’s Heavyweight Rowing
Teevyah Yuva Raju is ready and willing to take on any challenge that comes her way. After moving across the country to transfer to Cornell University, she decided to try a new sport: men’s heavyweight rowing.
Hockey Trailblazer Continues To Give Back To Game That Gave Her So Much
GoodSport caught up with former U.S. women’s ice hockey team member Shawna Davidson to discuss her incredible career and growing the game for the next generation.
Scout’s Unwavering Passion For Baseball Led Her To MLB
Robin Wallace grew up playing baseball, but never thought a career in the MLB was possible. She’s now the league’s first female full-time scout.
Meet The Cornell Men’s Heavyweight Rowing Team’s Female Coxswain
GoodSport met with Teevyah Yuva Raju to discuss her journey as a walk-on coxswain at Cornell, her internationally recognized agriculture research, and increasing opportunities for minorities in rowing.
New Grad Ready To Lead The Way As Head Women’s Fencing Coach At Wagner College
Gaby Chau, a former fencer for Boston College, is one of the youngest coaches to lead an NCAA Division I team.
Meet The First Female GM In The Minor Leagues In Nearly Two Decades
Emily Jaenson of the Reno Aces is the first female General Manager in Minor League Baseball’s Pacific Coast League in nearly two decades.
Orlando Pride Defender Wants To Help Other Women Take Control Of Their Health
Orlando Pride’s Toni Pressley defeated breast cancer, and now she’s using her voice to inspire other women to be proactive about getting tested.
Top 5 U.S. Volleyball Athletes
The four women who make up the U.S. Women’s National Beach Volleyball team and the fourteen women who make up the U.S. Women’s National Indoor Volleyball team all carry with them a long list of accolades that displays their athletic prowess–these are just a few of those names you should know.
NCAA Allowing Athletes To Wear Social Justice Patches On Their Uniforms
Although 2020 seasons continue to be put on hold, the NCAA will allow all student-athletes to wear patches on their uniforms for commemorative or social justice purposes moving forward.
Top 5 U.S. Softball Athletes
The biggest names in U.S. Softball including Rachel Garcia who is set to compete in the Olympics.
Sam Kerr Dominates At All Ranks In The Soccer Sphere
In the first part of the 2019-2020 season, Sam Kerr, captain of the Australian National Team, relinquished her commitments to the W-League and the NWSL and signed with Chelsea FC Women, bringing her unmatched dominance to one of the greatest leagues in the world.
Best Women Surfers In The World
Women are changing the game in sports. Here are some of the trail blazers and role models that you should know.
The 10 Best Basketball Players Of All Time
These ten ballers not only dominated on the national stage, but also on the global stage.
USWNT’s Kelley O’Hara Is Jack-Of-All-Trades
Kelley O’Hara’s impressive soccer career spans numerous teams and positions, and she hopes to use her success to inspire other female athletes.
The Incredibly Enigmatic Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe is much more than just a soccer star on the Women’s United States national team. Rapinoe is a vocal social activist who never shies away from controversy.
The Shevchenko Sisters Dominate The World Of Combat Sports
Childhood prodigies Valentina and Antonina Shevchenko reign supreme in both kickboxing and MMA.
WNBA Rookies Set To Make The Biggest Impact This Season
The 2020 WNBA Draft featured a number of successful NCAA women’s basketball players–these five are expected to make an immediate impact for their teams in the upcoming season.
Iranian Soccer Star’s Sister Is Changing Culture For Soccer
Maryam Shojaei is the sister of Iranian soccer star Masoud Shojaei, and has been campaigning for all Iranian women to attend soccer games and put an end to a 40 year ban.
Why The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Is The Most Dominant And Beloved Squad On And Off The Field
The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has been one of the most successful and influential teams to wear the United States jersey, or any jersey, for that matter, over the past 25 years.
Hilary Knight Is The Face Of Change In Women’s Ice Hockey
While Hilary Knight never intended on stepping into the spotlight, her poise and persistence on and off the ice has made her the face of change for USA Hockey.
MIT Women’s Basketball Coach Joins Memphis Grizzlies Staff As Assistant Coach
The Memphis Grizzlies added Sonia Raman, all-time winningest coach in MIT athletics, to their staff as an assistant. Raman’s hire makes her the 14th woman in NBA history to hold a coaching position.
Ali Krieger’s Arduous Journey To The Ultimate Outcome
Ali Krieger’s road to success has been anything but a straight line, but her unwavering dedication to the sport and to her teammates make it easy to see why she is invaluable to the USWNT.
MMA Fighter And Former Team USA Wrestler Overcomes Toughest Opponent
Tatiana Suarez had her sights set on an Olympic gold medal, but discovered a new passion after thyroid cancer sidelined her from the 2012 Summer Games.
Sue Bird Is Using Her Platform To Advocate For Others
Sue Bird will go down in history as one of the best basketball players in the world, but she’s more concerned with what happens off the basketball court.
Former Olympic Champion Fights For Women In Sports
Overcoming adversity to win Olympic gold, swimmer and civil rights attorney Nancy Hogshead-Makar has dedicated her life to fight for equality.
Student Athletes Adjust To New School During Pandemic
Sarah Dowalo and Regan Ware began their softball collegiate careers at different schools, but transferred to La Salle University for a new environment.
Female Sports Agent Could Make History At 2020 NHL Draft
The top prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft is represented by Émilie Castonguay, who could make history as the first female NHL agent to work with a No. 1 pick.
Meet India’s Highest Paid Female Athlete
P.V. Sindhu became the youngest Indian Olympian to medal in an individual event when she was 21 years old. Since 2016, she’s already accomplished much more.
Legendary Colorado Buffaloes Coach, Administrator, And Women’s Advocate Retires
University of Colorado senior women’s administrator and former women’s basketball coach, Ceal Barry, retires after a storied career and 37 years in University of Colorado athletics.
The Best Endurance Athletes You Should Know
Endurance athletes regularly push their bodies to places that many humans simply can’t. Here are 10 impressive endurance athletes you should know.
Kendall Coyne Schofield Is A Shooting Star In the World Of Hockey
Kendall Coyne Schofield has competed on the highest world stage and made history. Now she’s encouraging young girls to do the same.
Baltimore Ravens Exec Helps Connect Team In Community
Deandra Duggans is a top marketer in one of the most powerful sports leagues in the U.S. She worked hard to land a big job with the Baltimore Ravens.
West Point Lacrosse Coach Learned From The Best To Build Varsity Program
Army’s coach Kristen Skiera has been with the program since their start as a varsity sport, a position she has been in before at the rival Naval Academy.
Meet England’s Trailblazing Female Rugby Referee
Sara Cox’s refereeing career in rugby has only just begun, but it’s already a career destined for the history books.
American Cross-Country Mountain Biker Clinches Historic World Victory
Mountain biker Kate Courtney is the first American to win the overall World Cup in 17 years and the fifth American woman in history.
Winningest Coach In Michigan History Continues To Advocate For Gender Equity In Coaching
Carol Hutchins, the winningest coach in NCAA softball and Michigan athletics history, knows more women belong in head coaching roles.
The Greatest Fight In WMMA History
Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang put on a fight for the ages at UFC 248 in March 2020. The fight lasted five rounds and ended in a split decision.
This Mexican-American Softball Star Is Writing Her Own Story
Danielle O’Toole may have to wait to fulfill her dream of playing in the Olympics, but the former college star is improving her game at the professional level.
Sis Bates Is The Best Softball Player You’ve Never Heard Of
Sis Bates is a defensive wizard who has turned the college softball world into her own personal stage to show off her greatness.
First Female MLB Coach Is A Perfect Fit For The Job
Alyssa Nakken made MLB history when she joined the San Francisco Giants as a full-time coach in 2020.
AEW Heels Aims To Make Wrestling More Inclusive
Brandi Rhodes wants to level the playing field in the male-dominated sport of professional wrestling. So she created a community for female fans.
Super Sports Siblings
We all know siblings have rivalries in sports. These siblings push each other to excel and are each other’s biggest fans.
10 Sets Of Super Sports Sisters
EVERYBODY knows about Venus and Serena but there are many other super sisters in sports. Here are some that you may not have heard of.
Young Surfing Star Is A Generational Talent
Caroline Marks is already making waves. She has 17 national titles and a spot on the Team USA’s Olympic surf team, and her career is just beginning.
7 Fearless And Fierce Athletes You Should Know
You might not have heard these names before, but watch out. These women are fearless and dominating their sport.
Inspirational Quotes From Some Of The Greatest Ever
Top performers in every walk of life share one trait, confidence. Here are some words of wisdom from sports legends of yesterday and today.
These Are 10 Women Who Are Crushing MMA
Ronda Rousey is long gone but some amazing women are mixing up the mixed martial arts world.
Will Carli Lloyd Be The First Woman In The NFL?
There has been much talk lately about women competing for positions in traditionally male sports. Will it happen? Logic is on the side of yes.
Successful In Life, Unstoppable In College
These are some amazing women who absolutely dominated at the collegiate level.
Women Can Win: Changing The Gender Composition Of The NFL And College Football
Winning is the first priority for any NCAA or NFL football team, and the sports community at large is starting to realize that women can add to the equation.
As The Bird Flies, So Does Her Comeback
Basketball legend Sue Bird missed all of the 2019 WNBA season due to injury. Now, she has her sights set on another comeback.
This Woman Is At The Top Of Esports
A pioneer in women’s gaming, Steph Harvey holds her own in the sport.
You Should Know These Women Of Boxing
Women have become fixtures in boxing, in part due to the popularity of one fighter, who is also the daughter of the sport’s most famous figure.
Suzy Whaley: A Trailblazer In Professional Golf
Suzy Whaley knocked down many barriers to become the first female president in the storied history of the PGA of America.
Best Of The Best: Women In Sports History Part 1
These 10 women are inspiring athletes that elevated their game higher than anyone else to become among the best female athletes of all time.
24 Hours Of Le Mans Features First All-Female Race Team In Le Mans Prototype 2 Division
In the world’s oldest active street car endurance race there have been very few all-woman teams and none in the LMP2 Division until 2020.
Rachel Garcia Is The Best Player In College Softball
Whether she’s on the mound or hitting, Rachel Garcia of UCLA has excelled enough to be considered the best player in college softball.
Kim Mulkey Dares To Be Great Outside Her Comfort Zone
Kim Mulkey was part of Louisiana Tech for nearly 20 years, but when her loyalty wasn’t rewarded she found success elsewhere.
Katie Sowers’ Road To Glory
Against all odds, Katie Sowers coaches in the NFL and has made history in the process.
Female Pro Surfer Continues To Rack Up Championships
Sage Erickson is making waves in professional surfing. She won her second U.S. Open title in 2019, the first time the tournament awarded equal prize money.
