As I said in yesterday’s post, one of the biggest things I learned last week in the Substack fellowship program was about the importance of open threads; the other fellows all raved about the discussions and community-building and fun fostered by their readers in their open threads.
Obviously, I wanted to get Power Plays into the action ASAP. Because one thing I’ve discovered about the women’s sports world is how fragmented it is by sport and location. I want Power Plays to bring us all together.
The main purpose of his open thread is to crowdsource nominations for the most important women’s sports moments of the decade. What moment sticks out to you? What moment carried the most weight for the sport you love the most? What moment changed the game, on or off the field? What moment simply made you jump out of your seat?
I’ll be publishing the 20 most important women’s sports moments of the decade in the last two newsletters of the year; this is the place to make your suggestions known.
A couple of my nominations are in the thread below, so you’ll have to join the conversation to see.
Additionally, I’ll be hanging out in the thread for a few hours this afternoon, starting about 12:00 p.m. ET. So, feel free to ask me anything. (I’m behind on responding to email, as I’m sure some of you have noticed, so this might be a more direct way to reach me!)
I can’t wait to chat!
-Lindsay
UPDATE: 12/17, 4:11 p.m. ET: YOU ALL HAVE BLOWN ME AWAY!! These are all phenomenal ideas. I’m working on tomorrow’s newsletter so won’t be replying for a while, but I will keep checking back on this thread before finalizing my list early next week, so keep the suggestions coming!
I am especially loving hearing about defining moments from more under-the-radar sports, and big moments for non-U.S. players/teams.
This brings me to a problem: Is there one moment or game you all believe sums up UConn's decade of dominance? Obviously UConn must be included, but I need to nail down a moment.
Yes to all of these. And I want Uconn's dominance to be highlighted without attention brought to their defeat but Mississippi State's buzzer beater in the 2017 Final Four feels up there.
I would add to that both semifinals games (and I believe the championship game as well) all went into overtime. Not sure if that's ever occured before.
This was also going to be my first one. This was trending on twitter for days, something only accomplished in women's sports this decade by Arike and the USWNT. It also (I believe) was a factor in pushing the NCAA when Arike was able to compete on Dancing with the Stars. I firmly believe this was a moment that eventually led to the NIL announcement by the NCAA. They were pushed to approve something unlike they had before, and in the process millions of fans who had never been exposed to NCAA women's basketball started wondering why the NCAA was holding back in letting athletes (particularly female athletes) benefit from the extremely small window they have in the nation's consciousness.
Abby Wambach's goal against Brazil in the 122nd minute of the World Cup 2011 quarterfinals to tie the game that they would go on to win in PKs. This was hugely important for women's soccer in general. The game was drastically dwindling in popularity, and I believe if they had lost that game the USWNT would have faded into obscurity. Instead, they became immediate national sensations in a way they hadn't been since the '99 World Cup, and they've been riding that wave ever since. Plus it was the game that introduced the world to Rapinoe and we all know how important she's been this decade.
Thank you for including this one! My brother and I still talk about this game and how it sticks with us as one of the most exhilarating sports experiences of our lives.
This is the "one Moment" that wins it for me. The USA was down to 10 Women, and the Brazilian player Erika was trying to waste time with an injury...and the ref added more stoppage time to allow the play to happen. Kudos also to Christy Rampone for getting the ball away from brazil, then Carli Lloyd took her time to get the optimum pass to Rapinoe. If that doesn't happen, USA goes out in the quarterFinals of World Cup.
I like the mentioning of the Four-Peat that UConn's women basketball team accomplished... but that's not a moment as much as a "lifetime achievement". And the effect of UConn winning four straight years meant that other programs had to up their game... and they have, such that UConn is now mortal.
I could watch Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall win the gold medal in cross country skiing every single day and still cry every single time. You can see the drive in her face, and I'll never understand how someone could summon so much energy. It's my favorite Olympic moment this decade (but also can someone suggest a great gymnastics moment because for real that's important)
Agreed!!! So glad a few folks have listed this moment already - I still get chills thinking about it. Totally worth the insanely early wakeup to watch it happen live.
Rachel Denhollander becoming the first woman to come forward about Larry Nassar's abuse and predation of female gymnasts. (Would also put Nassar's sentencing up here, for changing the way the country perceives women in gymnastics and victims of sexual violence.)
Also struggling with a defining Serena moment. Maybe her winning the French Open for the first time in 11 years in 2013, taking down Maria Sharapova in the final? She won 12 majors this year so it's hard to choose A Moment.
One of the top sports moments of this decade Hass to be the #BoldForChange movement by the U.S. women’s National Hockey Team in the spring of 2017. The team leveraged their world champ status, and their home – ice hosting of the 2017 Worlds, to fight for women at every level of hockey. Not only is it significant because they won (and hockey is starting to see the impact of that win, from the grassroots level all the way up to the national team) but because the win came from the strength of unity. Supported by other women who had come before them, and supported 100% by the women coming up behind them, they set a precedent for other teams around the world, who have since used that momentum to fight for their own rights. And to top it off, the U.S. women won the World Championship, on home soil, only days after they achieved monumental growth for all of women’s hockey.
Yes!!! One of the most inspiring labor movements I've covered -- and then to see it topped off with the gold at the Olympics in that epic match, what a story.
If this is intended to be an international review and not just US-centric, then I'd have to say for me it includes the AUS victory over NZL for gold in women's sevens rugby in the 2016 Olympics. It's the first time women's rugby was ever included in the Olympics, which shows the strides that have been made against the haters around women in contact sports. And it was a complete upset, which shows the international growth and development in the women's side of a sport that, like football in the US, has long been guarded as a ode to masculinity.
The creation of the mexican women's soccer league was, in my opinion, a very important and life changing moment for many women in Mexico and central America. Considering the sexism that drives culture in these countries and particularly sport and soccer, this is a milestone. The first final between teams in Monterrey broke the international assistance record for a women's game with more than 51 000 spectators.
Love this! I humbly submit the 2018 Olympics Women's Hockey Gold Medal Game - I remember where I was, what I was doing, and that everyone who was still awake/on Twitter felt like family
Same!! There's definitely a split among Americans and Canadians whether 2014 or 2018 was the best LMAO. (I might have to inject my bias into this one.)
2014 was awful as American, but 2018 isn't near as sweet without it. Everyone will remember Oops I Did It Again, but for me, the sweetness of that win comes from the heartbreak of 2014 and is compounded by the 2017 boycott. It's this culmination and that's what makes it so important. That they did it so cheekily is like the cherry, but that sunday's got a lot of layers.
It seems like ancient history, but Ronda Rousey's entire pro MMA career happened in this decade. Her getting knocked out by Holly Holm is one of the most memorable moments of the decade.
Helen Maroulis becoming the first American woman to win gold at the Olympics in women’s wrestling. That was huge, but she did it by beating a three-time Olympic champion and 13-time World champion Saori Yoshida of Japan to do it.
Helen inspired another generation of girls and young women to dive into a sport that teaches so much about the human resolve and the power of perseverance.
She may have been mentioned already, but Caster Semenya deserves to be prominent on this list. She carried South Africa’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, where she won gold in the 800m (awarded after Russian runner Mariya Savinova was disqualified for doping in 2015). She won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the same event. These are only a couple of her accomplishments in the last decade, all of which she has achieved while showing tremendous grace and strength in the face of the aggressive racism and sexism of her sport’s governing bodies and, all too often, her fellow athletes.
Glad to hear it. There's a lot to unravel from the US Women's dominance - so much of it has to do with Title IX (see A Hero for Daisy), but also some interesting trends we've seen come to the fore culturally (i.e. using rowing to get into a top college). The interesting thing about rowing in D1 and the Olympics is just how hard it is - these women are putting in close to 40k a day of meters on the water and machine.
'd vote for a lot of the suggestions already made, and I'd add at least this one for consideration:
Ada Hegerberg opting not to appear for Norway until the federation demonstrates a commitment to equal support of the men's and women's teams. Among the principled stands made by several women's soccer teams around the world—and the success by the Matildas—Ada is someone who made this decision alone and she made it while a Ballon d'Or winner with a (hopefully) very long club career ahead of her.
Diana Taurasi breaking the WNBA all time scoring mark. She's the first to hold who wasn't one of the players in the founding season, marking the league as sustainable past the initial excitement.
Marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas who in 2017 swam the longest unassisted open-water swim ever (104.6 miles/168.3 km). It took her 67 hours and 16 minutes. No wetsuit. I'm amazed what people can do in their "natural" environment (on land, by foot...) but this blew my mind!
Hey Linz! I'd say one of the most important moments in my opinion was Naomi Osaka's win over Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open final. For so many different reasons. That win made her Japan's first ever singles Grand Slam champion, and catapulted her to icon status so fast in Asia, and the rest of the world. For me, the fact that someone as quirky and introverted as Naomi can have such massive global appeal is just awesome. She brings a certain type of authenticity that has somehow struck a chord with so many fans, and she has attracted a wider audience to the sport. Her willingness to discuss her multicultural background and heritage has also been super educational for many people - including myself - and her honesty in talking about her struggles after becoming Asia's first-ever world No.1 was very refreshing. For someone who has such a powerful game, she doesn't shy away from admitting to vulnerability - something often lacking in pro sport.
I wanted to post this because this is my sport, but I get so much negativity about it from all sides that I have stopped engaging social media on the subject. Thank you so much for posting this!
September 29, 2018, 17 year old Hailie Deegan gets her first NASCAR victory, becoming the first woman to do so at a level higher than local. I think the further along her career goes, the bigger a deal this win will become.
Love this -- also think it's interesting that nobody has mentioned Danica. I realize she can be a controversial figure, but it was huge to have a woman racing in the top NASCAR series full-time for a few years.
Talking about Patrick will cause me to go on a rant about NASCAR and it's continued regressive approach on existing. Highlights though do include winning the Pole for the Daytona 500 and finishing in the Top 10 for that race, scoring more Top 10's at the Cup level than any other woman prior, a Top 5 in a Cup sanctioned (though not a full points race), and at the Sportsman level (at the time, called the Nationwide series, now Xfinity), finishing Top 10 in points, the first woman to do so at any of the 3 National levels of NASCAR. All things considered, I think these are quality accomplishments.
I will go with a more recent event - the reaction of Stanford's Katie Meyer on her Natty PK save. Love the teeth, the attitude, and the raw emotion. Women's sports need more of this in my opinion. Bianca's US Open win would be my second choice.
Great ideas but I did not see Women's Surfing. The WSL was the first professional sports league to offer equal pay. Plus Surfing will be a 2020 Olympic sport. Several woman from all over the world have qualified. Including 4 time world title holder Carissa Moore and 17 years old Caroline Marks for the USA.
Surfing is truly one sport that the playing field is always the same. And don't forget the big wave chargers like Keala Kennedy who, along with others surf giant water like Jaws, along side the boys.
Alysia Montano racing 8 months pregnant. Kara Goucher calling out Alberto Salazar on doping allegations. Allyson Felix becoming the most decorated track and field athlete. All of the above calling out Nike's unfair pay structures for moms in track & field. Mary Cain.
The Black Lives Matter protests of women athletes across the country, from Megan Rapinoe to WNBA stars such as Tanisha Wright to cheerleaders to high school athletes. Women kneeled for justice time and time again.
Absolutely -- I wrote so much about this at the time and am working on it for the book, too. It was a pivotal moment. Goodness, maybe I should consider splitting into on-court vs. off-court?
I like what Sara has going here. The summer 2016 protests by the Women of the W were so ahead of the curve. Not many like to acknowledge that the WNBA came before Colin Kaepernick.
While this certainly wasn't a celebratory moment, I think Maria Sharapova's drug ban was an incredibly important moment. It fundamentally changed the narrative of one of the biggest women's sports stars ever. And it was also, to my knowledge, the biggest doping scandal in the history of women's sport.
What about the Boston Marathon in 2018, where a) the female elite athletes struck it out in the elements when the men gave up and b) it forced a conversation about long unfair payout structures in running.
It might not be one moment, but any time Katie Ledecky swims it seems like a massive moment. The way she's dominated, especially at the Olympics, is a sight to behold. The video of her at the Toyota U.S. Open about a week or two ago is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. She's unreal.
I have to shout out Aljona Savchenko, who won the pairs figure skating Olympic gold medal in 2018, at the age of 34 and in her 5th Olympics. Other top contenders for me: Aly Raisman coming back and taking silver in all-around in Rio, especially considering everything that came out afterwards about what she survived with Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics. As someone else mentioned also Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins, possibly the only time I jumped up and yelled at my TV.
Thank you, Kate! I really love getting perspectives from sports that aren't as on-my-radar. (And definitely want to do some reporting on Premier Ultimate in 2020)
Hell yes PUL!! Fave moment from the 2019 season was when *both* semifinal games went to overtime! Like... NY Gridlock had 12 seconds to tie the game. This Tulsa Douglas holy grail of a backhand is absolutely stupid good: https://youtu.be/t9Gv2xj4PWY?t=7072
I'm more a business worldview so unless. WNBA CBA is signed in the next 2 weeks it will be the 20th anniversary of the W to me
The next longest run true pro women's team sports league was the romanticized but ultimately inconsequential AAGPBL in the 1940s(!) And by the end of that league it was more truly a barnstorming outfit than an organized league
Can talk about NBA support as good bad or ugly but to have a league last twice as long at 20 years than any other truly pro womens league shows much progress mind you in basketball the next longest running league was 3 seasons it's huge progress and was a great moment for w fans
+1 for Carli's hat trick. Among so many great USWNT moments, this one feels like the most symbolic of their absolute dominance, in attitude and outcome. **Cannot wait** to see what comes of the nominations in this thread!
Sadly, the story really fizzled out after the primary announcements in January and were then overshadowed in July by the story of a Hungarian Olympian being held in South Korea over sexual assault allegations.
Doris Burke becoming a full time NBA analyst for ESPN is big for women in sports, if not for women's sports. Becky Hammon breaking into NBA coaching would also qualify.
Okay, I've got to start with Arike Ogunbowale's back-to-back buzzer beaters in the 2018 Final Four.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJEzingqiig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIHp2WYn4c
This brings me to a problem: Is there one moment or game you all believe sums up UConn's decade of dominance? Obviously UConn must be included, but I need to nail down a moment.
Maybe breaking the UCLA men's record for consecutive wins, which happened in December 2010
Certainly Breanna Stewart's 4-time MVP vote and the class of champs that went 1.2.3 in the draft is up there.
Yes to all of these. And I want Uconn's dominance to be highlighted without attention brought to their defeat but Mississippi State's buzzer beater in the 2017 Final Four feels up there.
Yes! Goodness could have a whole list just with Final Four moments.
I think you and Kurtis are right on track with this. There were many great moments, but this one was off the charts.
Well, I came here to say ARIKE OGUNBOWALE but you beat me to it.
She was the topic of MANY a Burn It All Down pod during that time, haha.
I would add to that both semifinals games (and I believe the championship game as well) all went into overtime. Not sure if that's ever occured before.
Took years off of my life!!
Ditto...but so worth it!
This was also going to be my first one. This was trending on twitter for days, something only accomplished in women's sports this decade by Arike and the USWNT. It also (I believe) was a factor in pushing the NCAA when Arike was able to compete on Dancing with the Stars. I firmly believe this was a moment that eventually led to the NIL announcement by the NCAA. They were pushed to approve something unlike they had before, and in the process millions of fans who had never been exposed to NCAA women's basketball started wondering why the NCAA was holding back in letting athletes (particularly female athletes) benefit from the extremely small window they have in the nation's consciousness.
this was going to be my first one, too! huge moment for me as an ND alum and lifelong fan of both women's bball and Muffet McGraw
Abby Wambach's goal against Brazil in the 122nd minute of the World Cup 2011 quarterfinals to tie the game that they would go on to win in PKs. This was hugely important for women's soccer in general. The game was drastically dwindling in popularity, and I believe if they had lost that game the USWNT would have faded into obscurity. Instead, they became immediate national sensations in a way they hadn't been since the '99 World Cup, and they've been riding that wave ever since. Plus it was the game that introduced the world to Rapinoe and we all know how important she's been this decade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvGfV6qCiOI&feature=emb_logo
Good summary of the whole game, which was bonkers: https://www.si.com/longform/soccer-goals/goal9.html
Love this -- thank you, I would have forgotten to include for sure. And cannot wait to dive into that longform article!
Thank you for including this one! My brother and I still talk about this game and how it sticks with us as one of the most exhilarating sports experiences of our lives.
This is the "one Moment" that wins it for me. The USA was down to 10 Women, and the Brazilian player Erika was trying to waste time with an injury...and the ref added more stoppage time to allow the play to happen. Kudos also to Christy Rampone for getting the ball away from brazil, then Carli Lloyd took her time to get the optimum pass to Rapinoe. If that doesn't happen, USA goes out in the quarterFinals of World Cup.
I like the mentioning of the Four-Peat that UConn's women basketball team accomplished... but that's not a moment as much as a "lifetime achievement". And the effect of UConn winning four straight years meant that other programs had to up their game... and they have, such that UConn is now mortal.
I could watch Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall win the gold medal in cross country skiing every single day and still cry every single time. You can see the drive in her face, and I'll never understand how someone could summon so much energy. It's my favorite Olympic moment this decade (but also can someone suggest a great gymnastics moment because for real that's important)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/kikkan-randall-has-blazed-a-cross-country-trail-jessie-diggins-followed-it-to-gold/2018/02/21/0293d812-16de-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_story.html
YESSS!!! Thank you for this, I remember it so well.
Yes!! This was amazing!
Yes! Seconded.
++++ to this. I honestly cry THINKING about it, and I don’t know anything about skiing!
Agreed!!! So glad a few folks have listed this moment already - I still get chills thinking about it. Totally worth the insanely early wakeup to watch it happen live.
Rachel Denhollander becoming the first woman to come forward about Larry Nassar's abuse and predation of female gymnasts. (Would also put Nassar's sentencing up here, for changing the way the country perceives women in gymnastics and victims of sexual violence.)
Also struggling with a defining Serena moment. Maybe her winning the French Open for the first time in 11 years in 2013, taking down Maria Sharapova in the final? She won 12 majors this year so it's hard to choose A Moment.
The defining Serena moment of the decade for me was her winning the Australian Open while (we later found out) she was pregnant.
I'd vote for the second Serena Slam, although her C-Walk at the Olympics is tempting
The crip walk!!! omg.
One of the top sports moments of this decade Hass to be the #BoldForChange movement by the U.S. women’s National Hockey Team in the spring of 2017. The team leveraged their world champ status, and their home – ice hosting of the 2017 Worlds, to fight for women at every level of hockey. Not only is it significant because they won (and hockey is starting to see the impact of that win, from the grassroots level all the way up to the national team) but because the win came from the strength of unity. Supported by other women who had come before them, and supported 100% by the women coming up behind them, they set a precedent for other teams around the world, who have since used that momentum to fight for their own rights. And to top it off, the U.S. women won the World Championship, on home soil, only days after they achieved monumental growth for all of women’s hockey.
Yes!!! One of the most inspiring labor movements I've covered -- and then to see it topped off with the gold at the Olympics in that epic match, what a story.
Seconding this one!
Mo'ne Davis 2hit/shutout in LLWS, August 2014!
YES!!!
This is the one i came to bring as well.
If this is intended to be an international review and not just US-centric, then I'd have to say for me it includes the AUS victory over NZL for gold in women's sevens rugby in the 2016 Olympics. It's the first time women's rugby was ever included in the Olympics, which shows the strides that have been made against the haters around women in contact sports. And it was a complete upset, which shows the international growth and development in the women's side of a sport that, like football in the US, has long been guarded as a ode to masculinity.
Thank you!! I'm definitely looking for international suggestions as well, and was just thinking that I needed a good rugby nomination. Love this.
Yes to this too! And the tearful powerful haka the NZL team performed AFTER their loss. 😭
I second, third and 4th this! :-)
The creation of the mexican women's soccer league was, in my opinion, a very important and life changing moment for many women in Mexico and central America. Considering the sexism that drives culture in these countries and particularly sport and soccer, this is a milestone. The first final between teams in Monterrey broke the international assistance record for a women's game with more than 51 000 spectators.
https://youtu.be/iKiWJltSRA8
Yes Marion!! HUGE. And so cool to see you contributing to Lindsay's list :)
The dominance of Simone Biles overshadows Gabby Douglas taking the individual and team gold in 2012, the first Amercan gymnast to do so
I agree, it's easy to forget how significant Gabby's victory was.
YES. The women’s gymnastics team is a decade definer for me.
Pat Summit has to be included....
Always.
Yep that was mine - either her Alzheimer's announcement and continuing to coach or her passing.
Love this! I humbly submit the 2018 Olympics Women's Hockey Gold Medal Game - I remember where I was, what I was doing, and that everyone who was still awake/on Twitter felt like family
Same!! There's definitely a split among Americans and Canadians whether 2014 or 2018 was the best LMAO. (I might have to inject my bias into this one.)
2014 was awful as American, but 2018 isn't near as sweet without it. Everyone will remember Oops I Did It Again, but for me, the sweetness of that win comes from the heartbreak of 2014 and is compounded by the 2017 boycott. It's this culmination and that's what makes it so important. That they did it so cheekily is like the cherry, but that sunday's got a lot of layers.
It seems like ancient history, but Ronda Rousey's entire pro MMA career happened in this decade. Her getting knocked out by Holly Holm is one of the most memorable moments of the decade.
omg such a good call.
Katie Ledecky bobbing in the water waiting for her "competitors" to finish
hahahaha, a legendary moment for sure.
I’m shocked no one has mentioned Elena Delle Donne’s 50-40-90 season. Truly insane, especially with all the injuries!
omg, that's such a good one
Absolutely!
Helen Maroulis becoming the first American woman to win gold at the Olympics in women’s wrestling. That was huge, but she did it by beating a three-time Olympic champion and 13-time World champion Saori Yoshida of Japan to do it.
Helen inspired another generation of girls and young women to dive into a sport that teaches so much about the human resolve and the power of perseverance.
Helen is a slam dunk.
Thank you for this, Jason!
Second!
She may have been mentioned already, but Caster Semenya deserves to be prominent on this list. She carried South Africa’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, where she won gold in the 800m (awarded after Russian runner Mariya Savinova was disqualified for doping in 2015). She won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the same event. These are only a couple of her accomplishments in the last decade, all of which she has achieved while showing tremendous grace and strength in the face of the aggressive racism and sexism of her sport’s governing bodies and, all too often, her fellow athletes.
I completely agree. On the track and off, she has been a champion among champions.
Totally biased as a rower, but this is an overlooked dynasty in sports - three Olympic gold medals between 2008, 2012, 2016 for the US Women's 8+ https://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/August/13/DominEIGHT-US-Womens-Eight-Rows-To-Landmark-Third-Consecutive-Olympic-Gold-Medal
The Unstoppables: Simone Biles, Mikaela Shiffrin, Katie Ledecky
The Marathoners: Des Linden, Boston 2018 & Shalane Flannagan, New York 2017
I really, really appreciate you suggesting a rowing moment -- I want to include as many sports as possible.
Glad to hear it. There's a lot to unravel from the US Women's dominance - so much of it has to do with Title IX (see A Hero for Daisy), but also some interesting trends we've seen come to the fore culturally (i.e. using rowing to get into a top college). The interesting thing about rowing in D1 and the Olympics is just how hard it is - these women are putting in close to 40k a day of meters on the water and machine.
USWNT Back to Back World Cup wins!
Pat Summit's retirement and death deserve mentioning
Absolutely, was going to post the same thing. Still feels like a big hole missing in women's basketball.
'd vote for a lot of the suggestions already made, and I'd add at least this one for consideration:
Ada Hegerberg opting not to appear for Norway until the federation demonstrates a commitment to equal support of the men's and women's teams. Among the principled stands made by several women's soccer teams around the world—and the success by the Matildas—Ada is someone who made this decision alone and she made it while a Ballon d'Or winner with a (hopefully) very long club career ahead of her.
This is such a good point.
Earlier this year, Antoinette (Toni) Harris became the first woman to accept a football scholarship as a position player at a four-year college. Her story is really inspiring -- she grew up in foster care, struggled with the death of her mother and survived a bout of ovarian cancer. She had also attended/tried out for multiple schools before her dream was achieved this year with Central Methodist University. Here are some helpful links: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001019418/article/toni-harris-is-first-female-skillposition-player-to-sign-loi and https://theundefeated.com/features/antoinette-harris-made-history-by-getting-a-football-scholarship-central-methodist-university/
Diana Taurasi breaking the WNBA all time scoring mark. She's the first to hold who wasn't one of the players in the founding season, marking the league as sustainable past the initial excitement.
Marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas who in 2017 swam the longest unassisted open-water swim ever (104.6 miles/168.3 km). It took her 67 hours and 16 minutes. No wetsuit. I'm amazed what people can do in their "natural" environment (on land, by foot...) but this blew my mind!
After being diagnosed with breast cancer... She's truly amazing!
WHOA. Yes, we featured her on Burn It All Down for the English Channel accomplishment, but I didn't know about 2017 -- thank you!
Hey Linz! I'd say one of the most important moments in my opinion was Naomi Osaka's win over Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open final. For so many different reasons. That win made her Japan's first ever singles Grand Slam champion, and catapulted her to icon status so fast in Asia, and the rest of the world. For me, the fact that someone as quirky and introverted as Naomi can have such massive global appeal is just awesome. She brings a certain type of authenticity that has somehow struck a chord with so many fans, and she has attracted a wider audience to the sport. Her willingness to discuss her multicultural background and heritage has also been super educational for many people - including myself - and her honesty in talking about her struggles after becoming Asia's first-ever world No.1 was very refreshing. For someone who has such a powerful game, she doesn't shy away from admitting to vulnerability - something often lacking in pro sport.
-- Reem Abulleil
Aaah, thank you for this, Reem. Sometimes I worry about recency bias, but you make a lot of good points about why this should be included.
Second the vote for Des Linden, Boston 2018 & Shalane Flannagan, New York 2017
Thank you!
Kim Rhode becoming the first athlete to medal in six consecutive summer Olympics and the only one to medal on five different continents
I wanted to post this because this is my sport, but I get so much negativity about it from all sides that I have stopped engaging social media on the subject. Thank you so much for posting this!
Claressa Shields winning back-to-back Olympic gold in boxing, the first American to do so
Yes -- and boxing making the Olympics, period!
I was going to say this too!
September 29, 2018, 17 year old Hailie Deegan gets her first NASCAR victory, becoming the first woman to do so at a level higher than local. I think the further along her career goes, the bigger a deal this win will become.
https://hometracks.nascar.com/2018/09/30/hailie-deegan-makes-history-with-kn-pro-series-west-win-at-meridian/
Love this -- also think it's interesting that nobody has mentioned Danica. I realize she can be a controversial figure, but it was huge to have a woman racing in the top NASCAR series full-time for a few years.
Talking about Patrick will cause me to go on a rant about NASCAR and it's continued regressive approach on existing. Highlights though do include winning the Pole for the Daytona 500 and finishing in the Top 10 for that race, scoring more Top 10's at the Cup level than any other woman prior, a Top 5 in a Cup sanctioned (though not a full points race), and at the Sportsman level (at the time, called the Nationwide series, now Xfinity), finishing Top 10 in points, the first woman to do so at any of the 3 National levels of NASCAR. All things considered, I think these are quality accomplishments.
I will go with a more recent event - the reaction of Stanford's Katie Meyer on her Natty PK save. Love the teeth, the attitude, and the raw emotion. Women's sports need more of this in my opinion. Bianca's US Open win would be my second choice.
I will remember Katie Meyer's reaction forever.
Simone Biles performance at the 2016 Olympics. She solidified her status as the GOAT early.
1. Shin A-lam being left on the piste at the 2012 Olympics
2. Carli Lloyd's World Cup Final hat-trick, 2011 World Cup
3. Danielle Gibson hits for the home run cycle, 2019
4. Katelyn Ohashi's viral perfect 10 routine, 2019
5. Naomi Osaka wins the US Open, 2018
6. Bianca Andreescu wins the US Open, 2019
That home run cycle is an underrated moment. Simply unbelievable.
Great ideas but I did not see Women's Surfing. The WSL was the first professional sports league to offer equal pay. Plus Surfing will be a 2020 Olympic sport. Several woman from all over the world have qualified. Including 4 time world title holder Carissa Moore and 17 years old Caroline Marks for the USA.
Surfing is truly one sport that the playing field is always the same. And don't forget the big wave chargers like Keala Kennedy who, along with others surf giant water like Jaws, along side the boys.
Sorry for the late reply, but thank you for this!!
Alysia Montano racing 8 months pregnant. Kara Goucher calling out Alberto Salazar on doping allegations. Allyson Felix becoming the most decorated track and field athlete. All of the above calling out Nike's unfair pay structures for moms in track & field. Mary Cain.
The us women's hockey team threatening to boycott the 2017 World's tournament.
Allyson Felix becoming the most decorated female Olympian in track & field history and the only woman with six track & field Gold Medals
Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall's gold medal at 2018 Olympics; the US's first XC Skiing Gold!
The Black Lives Matter protests of women athletes across the country, from Megan Rapinoe to WNBA stars such as Tanisha Wright to cheerleaders to high school athletes. Women kneeled for justice time and time again.
Absolutely -- I wrote so much about this at the time and am working on it for the book, too. It was a pivotal moment. Goodness, maybe I should consider splitting into on-court vs. off-court?
I like what Sara has going here. The summer 2016 protests by the Women of the W were so ahead of the curve. Not many like to acknowledge that the WNBA came before Colin Kaepernick.
WWC Final in France chanting equal pay. Out athletes being proud of who they are and openly reflecting the diversity of their fans.
While this certainly wasn't a celebratory moment, I think Maria Sharapova's drug ban was an incredibly important moment. It fundamentally changed the narrative of one of the biggest women's sports stars ever. And it was also, to my knowledge, the biggest doping scandal in the history of women's sport.
What about the Boston Marathon in 2018, where a) the female elite athletes struck it out in the elements when the men gave up and b) it forced a conversation about long unfair payout structures in running.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/opinion/boston-marathon-women-nurse.html
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/boston-marathon-women-prize-money
It might not be one moment, but any time Katie Ledecky swims it seems like a massive moment. The way she's dominated, especially at the Olympics, is a sight to behold. The video of her at the Toyota U.S. Open about a week or two ago is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. She's unreal.
I have to shout out Aljona Savchenko, who won the pairs figure skating Olympic gold medal in 2018, at the age of 34 and in her 5th Olympics. Other top contenders for me: Aly Raisman coming back and taking silver in all-around in Rio, especially considering everything that came out afterwards about what she survived with Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics. As someone else mentioned also Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins, possibly the only time I jumped up and yelled at my TV.
From very recently, the Premier Ultimate League returning for a second season of professional womxn's ultimate (the team sport, not disc golf) with 50% growth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2019/12/03/womens-professional-ultimate-frisbee-league-announces-expansion/#7a261d2967ed
I'm biased because this is my sport, but I've loved expanding my fandom through this newsletter and thought others might as well!
Thank you, Kate! I really love getting perspectives from sports that aren't as on-my-radar. (And definitely want to do some reporting on Premier Ultimate in 2020)
Hell yes PUL!! Fave moment from the 2019 season was when *both* semifinal games went to overtime! Like... NY Gridlock had 12 seconds to tie the game. This Tulsa Douglas holy grail of a backhand is absolutely stupid good: https://youtu.be/t9Gv2xj4PWY?t=7072
I'm more a business worldview so unless. WNBA CBA is signed in the next 2 weeks it will be the 20th anniversary of the W to me
The next longest run true pro women's team sports league was the romanticized but ultimately inconsequential AAGPBL in the 1940s(!) And by the end of that league it was more truly a barnstorming outfit than an organized league
Can talk about NBA support as good bad or ugly but to have a league last twice as long at 20 years than any other truly pro womens league shows much progress mind you in basketball the next longest running league was 3 seasons it's huge progress and was a great moment for w fans
I love how you measure the anniversary of the W!
WWC 2011 Quarterfinal USA v Brazil - "Abby Wambach has saved the USA's life at this World Cup!"
2012 Olympic Semifinal USA v Canada - The HAO cross, the Morgan goal? Incredible.
WWC 2015 Final USA v Japan - Carli Lloyd.
WWC 2019 USA - Four stars baby!
2019 NWSL - Historic 7th season, NC Courage dynasty, sponsorships.
These are all so great you're actually making my life MORE difficult, but I love you for it.
I'd add a vote for the 2015 final v Japan
+1 for Carli's hat trick. Among so many great USWNT moments, this one feels like the most symbolic of their absolute dominance, in attitude and outcome. **Cannot wait** to see what comes of the nominations in this thread!
Good morning - First thing that came to mind was Katie Ledecky's back-to-back Olympic Gold medal performances.
Larry Nassar survivors coming forward.
As a similar moment, the mass reporting of sexual harassment within the South Korean sporting hierarchy by a large number of women last year.
Do you have any articles you would recommend that I read about this, Litty? I didn't follow as closely as I should have.
The Guardian did two good factual pieces about it at the start of the year:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/15/south-korea-sports-chief-apologises-after-olympic-speed-skater-alleges-coach-raped-her
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/23/south-korea-biggest-sexual-abuse-sport-investigation
While a lot of Western media kind of ignored it, there is a lot of stuff out there about. I recommend:
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190226006100315
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/28/688416051/south-korea-will-interview-thousands-of-athletes-after-rape-and-abuse-allegation?t=1576604608486
Sadly, the story really fizzled out after the primary announcements in January and were then overshadowed in July by the story of a Hungarian Olympian being held in South Korea over sexual assault allegations.
Sorry I'm so late here, but thank you for these links.
This is my nomination too. Such an important moment that I hope we can learn from. #BelieveWomen
I wonder if it might be better to have separate lists for on-field and off-field moments
I've been thinking the same, though I think it's best to combine. But here will certainly be lots of honorable mentions.
Doris Burke becoming a full time NBA analyst for ESPN is big for women in sports, if not for women's sports. Becky Hammon breaking into NBA coaching would also qualify.
Absolutely. Both trailblazers.
the creation of the PUL (Premier Ultimate League), the first professional women's ultimate league ever