10 Women Who are Making Waves in the Sports World
From basketball to tennis, and even in the high-flying world of snowboarding, females are dominating right along with the fellas—arguably better in some cases! To show the ladies just how much we appreciate their talents, we decided to show love to 10 women currently redefining the gender barriers in sports.
Skylar Diggins
It’s easy to confuse Skylar Diggins for a runway model based on her physical appearance. While the former Fighting Irish all-star has been in front of the lens for Nike, Eastbay, and the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, being pretty is the least of Diggins’s worries when putting in work on the court. It has been over a year since she officially joined the WNBA as a guard for the Tulsa Shock, but the name Skylar Diggins has been circulating in basketball circles since her record-setting days at Notre Dame, where she was the Big East Women’s Player of the Year for two consecutive years. Her scoring record this season alone proves that Diggins might be the biggest hope for the Shock to finally qualify for the 2014 WNBA Playoffs, something they haven’t done since moving to Oklahoma.
Cari Champion
She may not get as physical as the rest of the ladies on this list, but ESPN reporter Cari Champion can definitely keep up when it comes to the sports talk. As the sole female perspective on First Take, Cari is right on point with the fast-paced and sometimes heated debates between Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. She mostly plays the host and neutral point of view — rarely the loudest person in the room — but she is ultimately the perfect middleman for celebrity guests to feel comfortable and get their point of view across when they visit the studio. We especially love seeing her in one-on-one interviews during the online “Cari’s Court” segments.
Danica Patrick
When considering NASCAR champions that have names starting with the letter D, there’s another speed demon that comes to mind outside of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and she’s only 5-foot-2! Danica Patrick has been making headlines consistently since first becoming Rookie of the Year at the 2005 Indy 500. Actually, her third place finish in the 2009 race is still a record holder for the best finish for a female driver. Classify her as the “Go Daddy Girl” if you want, but there’s a real reason why she gets so much respect in the auto-racing world. Just last year, she became the first woman to win a pole position in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Marlen Esparza
The female boxing arena has been in need of a star since Laila Ali hung up the gloves back in 2007. If anyone’s capable of stepping up to the challenge, Marlen Esparza is clearly a viable candidate. She may have been the first American woman to qualify in the women’s boxing category at the Olympics, doing so during the 2012 Games, the first year the category was recognized, but Esparza has literally been fighting her way to the top since the beginning. By 16, she was already the youngest female fighter to win the National Championship, and has since gone on to achieve tons of endorsements. Given that she’s also the first American amateur boxer to strike a deal with CoverGirl, we’ll go out on a limb and say she’s pretty good at guarding her grill.
Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
One of our favorite motorcross champs calls this lady wifey, but Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins is definitely a star outside of Travis Pastrana’s fame. She’s won three gold medals in the Women’s Vert category at the X Games, and currently holds the Guinness World Record as youngest female to do so. She’s not just a pro at skateboarding either. Lyn-Z has been making a presence for herself on the snowboarding scene as well. She also happens to be one of the only skaters brave enough to ride the DC Mega Ramp.
Diana Taurasi
Since becoming the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, Diana Taurasi has continued to rank as one of the best to ever do it in her field. Over the past decade, she’s been a six-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Champion, and Most Valuable Player, among her other achievements. With 10 years in the league under her belt, she only needs to put in a few more good seasons before her name is number one in those all-time league records. Either way, she’s already cemented in basketball history as one of the greatest players, male or female.
Serena Williams
There’s something about Serena Williams that just makes tennis 10 times more interesting than usual. Her rise to greatness has been filled with both highs and lows, but she always manages to come out on top, which only makes her an even greater champion. Don’t think we’re trying to play favorites, though. Her sister, Venus Williams, is an equally talented tennis champion in her own right, practically a mirror image of raw talent and overall dopeness. On the other hand, the numbers don’t lie. In the 24 professional matches that they’ve played against each other, Serena leads 14–10.
Brittney Reese
Anyone who paid close attention to the 2012 Olympics knows exactly who Brittney Reese is. The long jump gold medalist is the reigning champ at the World Championships in Athletics, and should have no issue maintaining her Olympics title by the time 2016 rolls through. What makes Reese stand out the most, though, is her philanthropy. She currently has an annual scholarship in her name that’s awarded to one male and one female student to attend a two-year or four-year college, proving that the greatest skill a true champion possesses is the gift of giving back.
Ronda Rousey
Watching the men of UFC battle it out is pretty intense, but the women are just as tough when it’s their turn to get in the ring. Among the toughest is Ronda Rousey, who’s considered the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the UFC. Her undefeated record includes an Olympic medal — the first American woman to achieve one for Judo, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing — and the UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion title. Her ability to keep that picture-perfect mug intact has led to Hollywood calling in a big way. Rousey has featured roles in The Expendables 3, Fast & Furious 7, and the Entourage film.
Elena Hight
Women on the slopes will soon be common in the snowboarding world, and you can thank Elena Hight for being one of the main pioneers. As her record suggests, Hight is no stranger to the podium at the Winter Olympics, Winter Dew Tour, and Winter X Games, among other competitions. Actually, during last year’s ceremony for the latter, she became the first snowboarder ever to land a double backside alley-oop rodeo in the SuperPipe, missing out on the top position to Kelly Clark by merely 0.33 points. Overall though, Elena put herself in a category that’ll take some serious skill to match up to.
From basketball to tennis, and even in the high-flying world of snowboarding, females are dominating right along with the fellas— arguably better in some cases! To show the ladies just how much we appreciate their talents, we decided to show love to 10 women currently redefining the gender barriers in sports.