Celebrating Women’s History Month Through Iconic Sports Illustrated Photos

In honor of Women’s History Month, here are some of Sports Illustrated’s photos of notable women athletes throughout the years.

Author:
Lia Assimakopoulos
Publish date:
Mar 22, 2022

In honor of Women’s History Month, here are some of Sports Illustrated’s best photos of iconic women athletes throughout the years. Spanning several decades—from Dorothy Hamill to Simone Biles, and all those in between—these women have made a significant impact in their sports and have helped redefine what it means to “play like a girl.”

Brandi Chastain

As a member of the USWNT from 1988 to 2004, defender and midfielder Brandi Chastain won two FIFA World Cups and two Olympic gold medals, scoring 30 career goals in 192 appearances. The most important one of all was her World Cup–winning penalty shootout goal against China in the ‘99 final.

Serena Williams

No player has won more Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era than Serena Williams. Her 23 total is just one shy of Margaret Court’s all-time record. After a 12-month hiatus from tennis to give birth to her first child, Olympia, Williams returned to the U.S. Open in 2018 and had to face Naomi Osaka in the final to match that record. She ultimately fell short, and Osaka claimed the title, so Williams is still in search of that record-tying win.

Katie Ledecky

During the heats of the 400m freestyle of the 2016 Games, Katie Ledecky set an Olympic record and narrowly missed breaking her own world record. In the event’s final, she was the clear favorite. She pulled away from all her competition just seconds into the race and ultimately won gold, setting a new world record of 3:56.46—her first of two world bests claimed durings those Games.

Florence Griffith Joyner

Florence Griffith Joyner had a lot of standout moments in her career. She won five Olympic medals in two summer games, including three gold. But her most impressive accomplishment came at the Olympic trials in 1988. She set a world record in the 100m dash, finishing in just 10.49 seconds, before going on to win gold later that year. Over 30 years later, her record still stands, making it one of the toughest to beat in sports.

Lisa Leslie

After being selected at No. 7 in the inaugural 1997 WNBA draft, Lisa Leslie went on to have one of the most successful careers of any WNBA player. In addition to her three WNBA MVP awards and four Olympic gold medals, she won two titles in her 11 years with the L.A. Sparks, including in the 2002 season when they swept the Liberty and Leslie earned Finals MVP honors.

Billie Jean King

1975 Wimbledon- Billy Jean King — Tony Triolo/Sports Illustrated

Despite only playing in one of the Wimbledon warm-up tournaments in 1975, Billie Jean King, who was seeded third in the tournament, earned a spot in the semi-finals against Chris Evert, the tournament’s top seed. After being down 3–0 in the final set, King found a way to come back and upset Evert to make it to her ninth Wimbledon finals. She ultimately defeated fourth-seeded Goolang Cawley in the second-most lopsided women’s final ever at Wimbledon, calling her performance a “near perfect match” and (temporarily) retiring from tournament singles immediately after, telling the media, “I’m never coming back.”

Erin Jackson

On Feb. 13, 2022 at the Beijing Games, Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. In her second Games, the speed skater won gold in the women’s 500m speed skating event, becoming the first Black American woman to medal in speed skating.

Danica Patrick

No woman has never been more successful in the history of American open-wheel car racing than Danica Patrick. Her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in an IndyCar series race.

Ronda Rousey

In the first women’s UFC fight ever, defending bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey squared off against Liz Carmouche. While Rousey found herself caught in an early standing neck crank attempt from Carmouche, she managed to regain control and went on to defend her title, winning the fight at 4:49 into the first round by submission due to an armbar.

Pat Summitt

By no means did Tennessee have an easy road to defending its national title in the 1997 NCAA tournament. The Volunteers had to upset both No. 2 seed Colorado and No. 1 seed UConn just to make the Final Four as a No. 3. After taking down Notre Dame, the Vols went on to face No. 1 Old Dominion in the national championship game, but thanks to lights-out shooting—setting a record for field goal percentage in a Final Four game at 59.2%—Pat Summitt’s team went on to win its fifth national title, and three more later in her career.

Megan Rapinoe

In the 61st minute of the 2019 FIFA World Cup final against the Netherlands, Megan Rapinoe’s penalty kick goal was ultimately the decider—iced by Rose Lavelle’s score eight minutes later—earning the United States its second straight World Cup title and fourth total. Rapinoe’s performance won her the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best overall player and Golden Boot as its top scorer for her six goals and three assists.

Julie Krone

In 1993, Julie Krone became the first and only female jockey to win a Triple Crown race, capturing the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair. She won over 50 major races in her career, including the Excelsior Breeders’ Cup Handicap (pictured above).

Noelle Pikus-Pace

After nearly a decade competing as a skeleton racer, including one Olympic appearance in 2010, Noelle Pikus-Pace announced her retirement from the sport. But in the summer of 2012, she declared that she would come out of retirement with the intention of qualifying for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Pikus-Pace ultimately won her first Olympic medal, a silver, in those Games and became the first American woman to medal in skeleton since the sport’s Olympic debut in 2002.

Lisa Lane

One of the most compelling chess stars of the 1960s, Lisa Lane became a pioneer for women in the game. She became the first chess player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated on Aug. 7, 1961 and spent several years as the women’s national champion, fighting for equal opportunity for women in chess.

Annika Sorenstam

Before she stepped away from golf after the 2008 season, Annika Sorenstam had won 90 international tournaments as a pro—making her the winningest female golfer in history. She won 72 LPGA tournaments, including 10 majors, and collected $22 million in prizemoney—$2 million more than her closest rival while playing in 149 fewer events.

Simone Biles

Tied as the most decorated gymnast of all time, Simone Biles’s seven Olympic and 25 World Championship medals have led to be considered one of the most dominant gymnasts ever. After earning five medals in Rio, including four gold, she returned to Olympic competition in Tokyo where she won two medals despite struggling with “the twisties”—which sparked an international conversation about mental health in sports.

Kerri Walsh Jennings

As the beach volleyball leader in career victories and winnings, Kerri Walsh Jennings helped put the sport on the map in the early 2000s. She and her teammate, Misty May-Treanor, were gold medalists in the 2004, ‘08 and ‘12 Olympics and have been called the greatest beach volleyball team of all time. She competed in one final Games in 2016 with teammate April Ross and won bronze.

Lindsey Vonn

At the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, Lindsey Vonn became the first U.S. woman to win gold in downhill. The four-time World Cup overall champion—and three-time consecutive champion from 2008–10—faced multiple injuries throughout her career, causing her to miss parts of many seasons, like in 2014 and the Sochi Olympics. However, she returned to Olympic competition in 2018 in PyeongChang where she earned her third Olympic medal before retiring in ‘19.

Amanda Nunes

Ronda Rousey took a year away from the sport after her upset loss to Holly Holm in 2015, so her bout with Amanda Nunes on Dec. 30, 2016 was highly anticipated. Nunes, the current bantamweight champion at the time, defended her title against the former champion, Rousey, winning the fight via TKO just 48 seconds into the round one. Following the loss, Rousey never competed again and turned her attention to WWE, while Nunes still competes today and is the current featherweight titleholder.

Arike Ogunbowale

In her junior season at Notre Dame, Arike Ogunbowale became known as one of the most clutch players in college hoops on the Fighting Irish’s way to winning the 2018 NCAA tournament. She made game-winning baskets in the semifinal against UConn and final against Mississippi State, earning the program its second-ever national title. She was named the tournament’s most outstanding player and ACC Athlete of the Year for her performance.

Martina Navratilova

Having won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 major women’s doubles titles and 10 major mixed doubles titles, Martina Navratilova holds the Open Era record for most major titles at 59. Ranked world No. 1 in singles by the WTA for 332 total weeks and a record 237 weeks in doubles, the Czechoslovakian star is the only player, male or female, to have held the top spot in both singles and doubles for over 200 weeks.

Carissa Moore

Once surfing was announced as an Olympic sport for the 2020 Games, Moore had the chance to add yet another major accomplishment to her resume. The five-time world champion made history this past summer in Tokyo and became the first-ever Olympic gold medalist in the sport.

Joan Benoit Samuelson

1984 Summer Olympics. Joan Benoit Samueslson winning marathon race. — Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

Joan Benoit Samuelson became the first women’s marathon champion at the Olympics when she won gold in the inaugural 1984 event in L.A. As one of the top marathon runners ever, she held the fastest time for a U.S woman at the Chicago Marathon and the Boston Marathon for 32 and 28 years, respectively.

Dara Torres

At the age of 41, Dara Torres became the oldest swimmer to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2008 Games in Beijing. She became the first swimmer to represent the U.S. in five Olympic games and is tied for the most medals in women’s swimming at 12, winning at least one medal in each Olympic appearance.

Bonnie Blair

Bonnie Blair remains one of the most decorated skaters in Winter Olympic history, as she became one of the top speed skaters of her era. Blair won six medals—five gold and one bronze—in her four Olympic Games and added an additional nine medals at the World Championships throughout her career.

Allyson Felix

In Tokyo, Allyson Felix became the most decorated U.S. track Olympian of all time, winning her 10th and 11th medals in the sport in the 400-meter and 4x400-meter relay. The five-time Olympian specialized in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dash throughout her career, winning seven Olympic golds and 10 U.S. national championships across the short distances.

Aly Raisman

2016 Summer Olympics: Ali Raisman during Women’s Floor Exercise Final at Rio Olympic Arena. — Donald Miralle /Sports Illustrated

Two-time Olympian and six-time medalist Aly Raisman led two of the most dominant teams in U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics history as the captain of the 2012 “Fierce Five” and ‘16 “Final Five,” which both won gold in team competitions. She was the most decorated U.S. gymnast at the 2012 Olympics, winning gold in the floor exercise and bronze in the balance beam in addition to her team gold. Raisman was also one of the many victims who was sexually abused by former Olympic team physician Larry Nassar and read an imapct statement at his sentencing. She and the other survivors were awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

Jessica Long

In the Tokyo Paralympics last summer, Jessica Long became the second-most decorated Paralympian athlete ever, having won 29 medals, including 16 gold, in five Paralympic Games. She has also won more 50 world championship medals throughout her career.

Mia Hamm

Two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA World Cup champion Mia Hamm played forward for the U.S. national team from 1987-04. As the most dominant women’s soccer player of the 1990s, Hamm held the record for most international goals scored until 2013. She still ranks third in USWNT history for international caps (276) and first for career assists (144). Hamm is best remembered for her performance in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where she led the U.S. to its first gold medal in women’s soccer.

Jessie Diggins

At the Pyeongchang Games in 2018, Jessie Diggins and her teammate Kikkan Randall made history, winning the U.S.’s first cross-country skiing gold medal in the team sprint. Four years later in Beijing, Diggins won silver in the 30 km freestyle and bronze in the individual spring, making her the most decorated U.S. cross-country skier.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Twenty-five years after her last Olympic appearance, Jackie Joyner-Kersee is still known as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. She won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals in heptathlon and long jump, as she competed in four Games throughout her career.

Mikaela Shiffrin

In Sochi, Mikaela Shiffrin became the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine history, winning gold before her 19th birthday. Four years later in Pyeongchang, she won two more medals—one gold and one silver—tying the most golds won by a U.S. alpine skier. She is also the most decorated U.S. alpine skier in World Championship history, having won 11 medals overall and a record six gold.

Venus Williams

A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Venus Williams is credited with inspiring a new era of women’s tennis alongside her sister, Serena. She became the first Black woman to reach world No. 1 singles in the Open Era and the second all time. She has won seven Grand Slam singles titles in her career and 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles—all with Serena, as the pair is unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals.

Chloe Kim

When Chloe Kim became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal in PyeongChang when she was just 17 years old, she became an international star. Leading up to the Beijing Games, she was the favorite and expected to defend her title. She did just that, becoming the first woman to win two Olympic gold medals in halfpipe. The World, Olympic, Youth Olympic and X Games champion is the first to win the halfpipe title at all four major events.

Dorothy Hamill

After winning her first U.S. Championship in 1974, Dorothy Hamill successfully defended her title for the following two seasons. At the age of 19, she won a triple crown and captivated an international audience by winning gold in the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in addition to both the U.S. and World Championships that year.

Gabby Douglas

In the 2012 Olympics, Gabby Douglas was the first Black woman to become the Olympic individual all-around champion for the U.S.. As a member of the gold-winning 2012 and ‘16 Olympic teams, she became the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions in the same Olympics.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

For over a decade, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has dominated her sport and helped elevate Jamaican athletics to the international spotlight. Regarded as one of the greatest sprinters ever, the eight-time Olympic medalist has seen the most success in the 100-meter dash, her signature event. She’s won gold in the event twice, and in Tokyo last summer, 13 years after her first Olympic win, she won silver—becoming the first athlete to medal in the 100-meter at four consecutive Olympics.

Kate Courtney

After winning four U23 World Cups and the U23 World Cup overall title in her first full season, cyclist Kate Courtney made history, claiming the 2019 UCI MTB World Cup overall title, becoming the first American to do so in 17 years.

Eileen Gu

Eileen Ailing Gu Beijing Olympics — Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

In her Olympic debut in Beijing this year, U.S.-born Eileen Gu drew attention when she chose to compete for China. The freestyle skiing sensation garnered even more attention when she became the youngest Olympic champion in her sport after winning gold medals in big air and halfpipe, as well as silver in slopestyle.

USA Basketball

USA women’s basketball Tokyo Olympics — Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

In the Tokyo Olympics last summer, the U.S. women’s basketball team continued its dominance of the event, winning its seventh consecutive gold medal and ninth overall. The team is by far the most successful in international women’s basketball, winning nine out of 11 Olympic tournaments it has entered.