Women's sports Category page

Women’s sports have come a long way after navigating daunting challenges. Females were often excluded from participating in competitive sports until they broke through significant challenges to earn their rightful place, including tackling unequal prize money, sexism, and differences in popularity. However, legendary athletes like Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Florence Griffith-Joyner have opened the doors for future generations, inspiring them to follow their dreams and passion.

Female athletes first appeared in the Olympics circuit during the 1900 edition in Paris, where only 22 women competed in tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrian and golf, with only golf and tennis having women-only categories. It was only at the 2012 London Games that all the sports featured women categories. From 22 female athletes at the 1900 Games to recording equal numbers of male and female athletes at the 2024 Paris edition, women’s sports have shattered stereotypes and disparities to experience remarkable growth.

Women sports have gained substantial popularity and growth in the recent years, the credit of which can be given to groundbreaking and cohesive sporting events, including FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour, and the US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and National Women's Soccer League. (NWSL). The success of these prestigious events have developed business and investments, proving the capacity in women’s sports to stand next to that of males.

Iconic Women's sports moment in history:

The rise in women’s sports has been marked by multiple extraordinary moments presented by iconic athletes, including Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, Kathrine Switzer, Simone Biles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Kathrine Switzer became the first female to complete the Boston Marathon:

Kathrine Switzer became the first female to complete the Boston Marathon as an officially registered number in 1967. She donned a full sleeve t-shirt and track pants in an attempt to go unnoticed. However, an official spotted her at the 26.2 miles mark. Showing her resilience she completed the race in four hours and 20 seconds. The Amateur Athletic Union then banned participation of women in the men's category at the event until 1972 when a separate official women's race was announced.

Billie Jean King dominates the 'Battle of the Sexes' in 1973:

The 1973 faceoff between Billie Jean King and former World No.1 Bobby Riggs marked as one of the most important milestones in the contention for gender equality in sports. Riggs challenged King for a faceoff after claiming that women’s tennis is far inferior to male and stated that a former player of his age (then 55 years old) can easily defeat the leading tennis player. In a match with about 90 million fans glued to the showdown King defeated Riggs in straight sets, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3, and earned the winner-take-all prize of $100,000. King’s victory marked the commencement of equal pay opportunities. She also became the first woman to have a sports stadium named for her, the renowned USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup:

The 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup marked yet another trailblazing effect on women’s sports. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament held in China. The USA Women’s National Team lifted the debut title after beating 11 other teams. The American team has since lifted four more FIFA World Cups, and Olympic gold medals, setting the groundwork for the establishment of the National Women's Soccer League which commenced in November 2012.

Recent rise in Women's sports:

The women’s sports have gained a significant popularity in recent years with major events like FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour, and the US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). These thrilling events are helping to gain recognition the female athletes deserve. With the emergence of elite athletes like Caitlin Clark and Angel Resse, the WNBA is becoming the Fastest-Growing Brand In Professional Sports It has become the fifth most popular professional sport, behind the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. The operator behind ESPN Penn highlighted an increase in WNBA handle by 150% while BetMGM reported a 108% increase in betting in 2024. The WNBA star athletes are changing the narrative of women’s sports in accordance to viewership and merchandise sales.

The legendary tennis player Serena Williams husband’s brainchild Athllos NYC bought the women’s track and field event in cohesion with male events while featuring the highest ever track prize money for women. The women centric event, held right after the 2024 Paris Olympics featured female star rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The event featured multiple Olympic medalists, including Gabby Thomas, Faith Kipyegon, and Masai Russell. Winner of each event was awarded a generous cash award of $60,000.

With the inclusion of Jordan Larson, Justine Wong-Orantes, Lexi Rodriguez, and Merritt Beason, Andi Jackson, and Harper Murray, the Nebraska Volleyball witnessed a surge in recognition. The Cornhuskers registered a record-breaking attendance of 92,003 fans at a 2023 match against Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

Women's sports has seen a remarkable transformation attributed to great female athletes and professional leagues, proving they are as strong as the male counterparts in all sports.