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The Difference-Makers: Sports Illustrated Reflects on International Women’s Day 2024

The annual event is a time to celebrate women's achievements and call to action efforts for gender equity and inclusion worldwide.

One of the best parts of sports is the trash talk.

When Billie Jean King took on Bobby Riggs in the legendary Battle of the Sexes in 1973, there was plenty of it going around. Riggs spent wasted breath proclaiming that men are superior to women. King was unflinching in proving that women deserve a place in sports right alongside men (and that Riggs was indeed a “male chauvinist pig”). We all know how that match ended.

So what does trash talk for women in sports look like now? Pretty similar to how the men do it, actually.

LSU’s Angel Reese points to her finger in front of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark in the NCAA women’s championship game.

It looks like Caitlin Clark flashing her hand à la “You can’t see me” and Angel Reese dishing it right back to her in the Final Four along with pointing to her ring finger on the verge of a national championship. It looks like the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces using news conferences and social media to chirp long after the final buzzer of the WNBA Finals. It looks like immensely talented women being brash and proud and successful and entertaining.

It is no longer about proving they deserve to be there. Thanks to trailblazers like King who championed the need for equality, the women are there and they have our attention.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is all about inclusion. Throughout the years, we’ve seen time and time again the power that comes from investing in and including women—and that is especially true in women’s sports. We’ve seen this through more than 50 years of Title IX; through chants of “EQUAL PAY” that became the rallying cry of the U.S. women’s national basketball team while dominating on the field for more than 20 years; through celebrating 25 years (and counting) of the WNBA; through players taking back their sports and leagues when tarnished by abuse; through women breaking into the clubhouses of men’s sports leagues and so much more.

There’s still plenty of progress to be made. We love to celebrate trailblazers—and they deserve the recognition—but for every “first” there is a reminder that it’s only the beginning.

Four months before that Battle of the Sexes match, Riggs took on Margaret Court, who was No. 1 in the world at the time, and beat her. Back then, Sports Illustrated ran a cover with Riggs, saying “NEVER BET AGAINST THIS MAN.” Well 51 years later, here’s just a snippet of stories from the last year to show you that instead maybe you should never bet against women. —Kristen Nelson, Sports Illustrated


Women continuing to break through men’s sports

Mar 30, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng looks on from the field prior to the game against the New York Mets at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

In 2020, Ng became the first female general manager in MLB.

‘Since When Were Women Allowed’: Inside Their Push to Break Into Baseball

MLB loves the praise that comes with hiring Rachel Balkovec, Kim Ng and other trailblazers, but the sport still has a long way to go to fix its representation problem. 

How One Coach, Her ‘Championship Mindset’ and an NCAA Men’s Soccer Program Made History 

UChicago’s Julianne Sitch became the first woman to coach an NCAA men’s soccer team to a national title, and it all started with a challenge to win every moment.


WNBA

Forget Superteams. The Aces Are Building a WNBA Dynasty

After securing back-to-back titles—a feat the league hasn’t seen in 21 years—Becky Hammon, A’ja Wilson and the rest of the Las Vegas squad have forever written themselves into WNBA lore.

A Superteam Perfect on Paper. But Will It Work?

Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot made a plan to play together (yes, there was a group text) and pulled it off. Now New York boasts the WNBA’s best-ever collection of talent. The only remaining question: Can they torch the rest of the league?


Colleges/NIL

LSU Stars Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne Are Rolling in NIL Deals

Led by two of the top-10 earners in the country, LSU is setting the standard for athletes in women’s sports capitalizing on NIL deals.

February 28, 2024, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA: Iowa Hawkeyes guard CAITLIN CLARK (22) signs autographs after a NCAA, College League, USA Womenâ€⠢s Basketball game between Minnesota and Iowa in Williams Arena on February 28th, 2024. Iowa won 108-60. Caitlin Clark also surpassed Lynette Woodardâ€⠢s record for the most points scored in womenâ€⠢s college basketball history. Minneapolis USA - ZUMAg254 20240228_zsp_g254_155 Copyright: xStevenxGarciax

Iowa superstar Clark is expected to be chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Caitlin Clark’s Amazing Iowa Journey Continues

Back for a fourth (and final?) season, Iowa’s local hero is hoping to surpass last year’s drama-filled title game run with a championship.

January 21, 2024 Stanford, CA, U.S.A. Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer celebrate history after the NCAA, College League, USA Women s Basketball game between Oregon State Beavers and the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford beat Oregon State 65-56, as Tara VanDerveer becomes NCAA winningest basketball coach with 1,203 wins at Maples Pavilion Stanford,

When VanDerveer earned her career 1,203th victory, she passed Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to become the winningest coach in college basketball history.

Tara VanDerveer’s First Win Looked Nothing Like the One That Made Her the Winningest Coach

Before there was Stanford or Ohio State, VanDerveer’s first 42 career wins came at Idaho—and were fundamental to the hundreds upon hundreds of victories that followed.


World Cup

The USWNT’s Dynasty Could Be in Trouble—And That’s a Good Thing

The U.S. has long reigned over women’s soccer, but its place at the top is being challenged by countries that are finally leveraging the structure and prestige of the sport’s traditional powers.

The Matildas Forever Changed Soccer in Australia After a Wild Women’s World Cup Run

While Sam Kerr & Co. saw a heartbreaking end against England, what they accomplished this summer will likely last for generations to come.


Olympics

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The 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team Forever Changed Sports

Forty-seven years after winning silver as the first U.S. women’s basketball team at the Olympics, the squad is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

August 5, 2023, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA: SIMONE BILES competes on the uneven bars during the USA Gymnastics Core Hydration Classic at the NOW Arena. The four-time Olympic gold medalist returned to gymnastics competition at the Core Hydration Classic outside of Chicago on Saturday night, where she won the all-around, balance beam and floor titles and had the highest score on vault. Hoffman Estates USA - ZUMAbm6_ 20230805_znp_bm6_002 Copyright: xH.xRickxBammanx

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Biles returned to gymnastics competition last August in Chicago. 

Simone Biles Returns to Competition With a Smile, Style—and Her Trademark Unrivaled Skill

In her first competitive meet in two years, Biles swept away her opponents. More important, she did so with a clear mind.


Tennis

Coco Gauff Won Her First Major at the U.S. Open. It Won’t Be Her Last

The 19-year-old became the first American woman to win the tournament since 2017.

Is Women’s Tennis On the Verge of Another Golden Era?

The differing styles and personalities of stars like Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur have the sport in a promising place—but there are some key ingredients missing.


Racing

For Jamie Chadwick, Everything Changed This Year—and It All Finally Clicked

With her success in Indy NXT, the British racing driver and three-time W Series champion hopes to drive progress for women in motorsport.

Pippa Mann Wants More Women in Motorsports—And She’s Making It Happen with Shift Up Now

The British racing driver is leading an organization that is working to provide support and funding for women in F1 feeder series, IndyCar, endurance racing and more.