In October 2020, Sports Illustrated published an article, “The Unrelenting”, highlighting the most influential and powerful women across the sports landscape. This list included both former and current athletes, social activists, and executives from the last 50 years.
Sports have continued to evolve and it is most evident in the larger roles women, not just the athletes, have begun to play across various organizations including in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The list is diverse and showcased as many different types of figures as possible. And as different as each of the individuals were, they all shared several traits that stood out.
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They Face and Overcome Adversity
Every sports legend or person of note had to overcome adversity at some point in their storied careers. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team and had to overcome his father’s murder while Mario Lemieux battled cancer amongst a litany of injuries.
But the adversity most of the women faced and continue to face on the list go beyond personal tribulations.
Women like Megan Rapinoe and Billie Jean King continue to overcome stigma associated with being an open member of the LGBT community while Maya Moore and Michele Roberts face racism on an ongoing basis.
Being a woman in an industry traditionally associated with men is already starting with an extra degree of adversity and that doesn’t end despite how much they accomplish.
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They are Social Justice Activists
The silver lining to having to face discrimination and prejudice is being made more aware of the social injustices that permeat society. Even with all the progress in social change, there is still plenty of work to do. And these women know that and act on it.
From straight white athletes like Hilary Knight to openly gay black cofounders like Odessa Jenkins, these women are either social activists or powerful allies to social movements.
Jenkins is working to build a sustainable professional women’s tackle football league with a worldwide reach. Maya Moore, a WNBA MVP, has postponed her Hall of Fame career to continue to fight against racial injustices. Fellow WNBA star Natasha Cloud followed suit in 2020.
And of course, there is Billie Jean King who has continued fighting for equal pay in sports and is the leader of the Women’s Sport Foundation.
They are Voices for Change
These powerful women will not just “shut up and dribble”. Sports is more than just sports for most of them and they are aware of the influence they carry using their platforms.
Athletes like Knight, Crystal Dunn, and Naomi Osaka continue to be loud and powerful voices in fighting against racism and gender inequality.
Knight has not only been a voice but also led over 200 of her fellow hockey players in boycotting existing leagues until they provide better pay and working conditions.
Dunn has consistently called out the NWSL’s portrayal of black players and advocated for her fellow athletes’ right to protest while Osaka donned seven masks in 2020 all bearing the names of the victims of police brutality.
They are Phenomenal at What They Do
Yes, we’ve all heard about how amazing King, Serena Williams, and Simone Biles are. They are three of the greatest women to ever compete in sports. But almost everyone on the list has excelled and even dominated in their own manner.
Moore is arguably the greatest WNBA player of her time having won four championships, an MVP, and a Finals MVP. Courtney Dauwalter is arguably the greatest ultramarathon runner in the world. And Mikaela Shiffrin is the youngest slalom champion in Olympic history.
But it goes beyond playing the sport. Doris Burke has become a household name in the NBA thanks to her deft work as an analyst and broadcaster with ESPN.
Johanna Faries went from being a top executive in the NFL to being the commissioner of Call of Duty Esports. And Lisa Joseph Metelus has become one of the best agents with high-profile clients like Dwyane Wade and Zion Williamson.
In every level of sports organizations, women are rising through the ranks and making a name for themselves.
They are More than Just Sports Figures
It all adds up to these women being powerful and influential in ways that go beyond sports. They are activists and advocates who inspire change both in sports and in society.
These women have survived blatant sexism, sexual abuse, and racism and become figures to fight against these both for their leagues and their communities.
And many of the women on the list are also married or in relationships and have made balancing being an athlete, an activist, and a wife and/or mother a part of daily life.
With these women leading the way, we will have to redefine what sport is and how we perceive it.
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