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Clare Brennan

Dec 30, 2021

The top 21 women’s sports moments from 2021

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 20: Kelley O’Hara #5 of Washington Spirit celebrates after scoring during extra time against Chicago Red Stars during the NWSL Championship held at Lynn Family Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

From Carli Lloyd hanging up her cleats to Allyson Felix shattering records to Emma Raducanu announcing herself to the world, 2021 was a defining year for women’s sports.

As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at the decisive moments from a banner 12 months that included NCAA championships, the Olympics and a landmark NWSL season.

Here are the top 21 women’s sports moments from 2021:

1. Stanford wins NCAA basketball tournament

Stanford won its first National Championship since 1992 and the third title in school history, defeating Arizona 54-53 back in April. The thrilling final capped off a record-breaking season for the Cardinal, with coach Tara VanDerveer passing Pat Summit as the winningest head coach in DI women’s basketball history. With 4.08 million viewers tuned in to ESPN for the championship, Stanford and Arizona’s nail-bitter marked the most-matched title game since 2014.

2. Odicci Alexander’s WCWS stand

James Madison’s Odicci Alexander burst onto the scene over the summer, leading her school to an unlikely Women’s College World Series run in June. The star pitcher threw 1,057 pitches, recording a staggering 66 strikeouts in leading James Madison to the semifinals, the first unranked team to do so in WCWS history. James Madison’s historic run included a massive first-round upset against No. 1 Oklahoma, capturing national attention and catapulting Alexander to softball fame.

3. Ash Barty wins Wimbledon

Ash Barty made history in July, becoming the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980. The world No. 1 defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 to capture her second Grand Slam title.

4. Sha’Carri Richardson bursts onto the scene

Sha’Carri Richardson sprinted into track and field celebrity over the summer when she clocked a winning time of 10.86 seconds in the 100m final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in June. Her first-place finish was later disqualified when it was found out that Richardson tested positive for marijuana, bouncing her from the Olympics with a one-month suspension. The ordeal followed the passing of Richardson’s biological mother and spurred a conversation about mental health and rules banning marijuana that many now deem outdated. Despite not racing in Tokyo, Richardson was one of the breakout athletes of the year.

5. Simone Biles rewrites the script

Simone Biles shocked the world when she withdrew from the gymnastics team all-around event at the Tokyo Olympics after being overcome by the dreaded “twisties.” The gymnastics icon went on to pull out of the individual all-around, vault and uneven bars. Biles’s prioritization of her health was a rare and welcome change, instigating a conversation about mental health in sport. Naomi Osaka also contributed to the broader conversation on mental wellbeing when she withdrew from several events on tour. After a trying year of isolation and loss, athletes advocating for mental health offered a timely shift in the cultural perspective.

6. Suni Lee wins gold

American gymnast Suni Lee stepped into the spotlight when Biles stepped back from the individual all-around event in Tokyo. The 18-year-old dazzled audiences, beating out her competition with a score of 57.433 to capture gold in gymnastics’ most recognized event. Lee’s Olympic title also made her the first Hmong American gymnast to win an individual gold medal.

7. Allyson Felix cements her legacy

Allyson Felix became the most decorated track and field athlete of all time after winning a bronze medal in the 400m and gold in the 4×400-meter relay in Tokyo. The five-time Olympian surpassed a record set by Carl Lewis, increasing her medal count to 11, the most of any American track and field athlete to date. At 35 years old, Felix’s accomplishment is made more impressive by the fact that she gave birth to her daughter in 2018, between her last two Olympic campaigns.

8. Ariarne Titmus upends Katie Ledecky

Ariarne Titmus swam her way to the top of the podium in Tokyo, dethroning American swimming star Katie Ledecky in the process. The Australian swimmer captured gold in the 400m freestyle, becoming the first athlete to beat Ledecky in an individual Olympic event. Titmus also took home a gold in the 200m freestyle, capping off a breakout Summer Games. The now 21-year-old’s incredible performance captured international attention, but perhaps no one was as excited as her coach Dean Boxall, who went viral for his celebration following Titmus’s 400m victory.

9. April Ross & Alix Klineman dominate the beach

April Ross and Alix Klineman, or “the A-Team” as the duo is lovingly called, dominated the beach volleyball competition to capture gold in Tokyo. The Olympic title completed Ross’s trifecta, as she won silver and gold in her two previous Games. Klineman had a very different path to Tokyo, only partnering with Ross starting in 2017 and with less than a year of beach volleyball experience. Now, the pair are beach volleyball royalty.

10. Carissa Moore wins surfing gold

Carissa Moore added to her growing trophy cabinet, clinching the first-ever surfing Olympic gold medal during the Summer Games. The Team USA surfer followed up her podium-topping performance in Tokyo with her fifth WSL title, solidifying herself as a legend in the sport.

11. Nelly Korda caps golden year

Nelly Korda had a landmark 2021, becoming the first golfer to win Olympic gold and a major championship in the same year. The 23-year-old tapped in a four-foot putt to capture gold on the Kasumigaseki Country Club’s 18th hole before being embraced by sister Jessica in what was a historic moment for the Korda family, Team USA and the sport of golf.

12. Christine Sinclair wins elusive Olympic gold

Christine Sinclair is already a bona fide soccer legend. At 38 years old, she has the most international goals of all active players with 188 and has won just about every award there is to win in the sport. An Olympic gold, however, had always eluded the Canadian superstar, until this summer, when Sinclair and Canada downed Sweden in a thrilling PK shootout to win gold after defeating the USWNT on their path to victory.

13. Cat Osterman retires (again)

Cat Osterman hung up her cleats for good this year after coming out of retirement for the Tokyo Olympics. The American pitcher helped Team USA to a silver medal and officially closed out her historic career with a successful Athletes Unlimited season, coming second in strikeouts after winning the league’s inaugural season in 2020. On top of an Athletes Unlimited title, Osterman leaves the sport with two Olympic silver medals and a gold, and is widely considered one of the best pitchers in softball history.

14. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi do it again

The Team USA basketball dynasty continued in 2021, with the Tokyo squad winning the program’s seventh straight gold during the Summer Olympic Games. Legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi made their own history in Tokyo, becoming the first basketball players to win five Olympic gold medals. After the team’s 90-75 victory over Japan, Bird talked about the next generation of players carrying the Team USA torch in the future, while Taurasi signed off the interview by saying, “see you in Paris.” It might have only been a joke about the 2024 Olympics in France, but we’re not counting either GOAT out yet.

15. Trinity Rodman’s grand debut

Trinity Rodman fielded one of the most compelling rookie seasons in NWSL history, finishing the season with seven goals and seven assists. The youngest player drafted in NWSL history, the 18-year-old ran away with the NWSL’s Rookie of the Year race while also helping lead the Washington Spirit to their first-ever NWSL Championship. Sharing the pitch with some of the best in the game, Rodman was perhaps the most impactful player in the final against the Chicago Red Stars, registering the game-winning assist.

16. Emma Raducanu wins the US Open

This year’s US Open was one for the history books, featuring an all-teenage final between two previously unknowns: Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and England’s Emma Raducanu. The 18-year-old Raducanu pulled out the win over Fernandez, clinching the Grand Slam without ever dropping a set, the first person to do so since 2014. The Englishwoman was also the first qualifier ever to capture the US Open title and the first British woman to win a Grand Slam in 44 years. Raducanu’s meteoric rise catapulted her to international fame, as the rookie firmly planted herself at the fore of tennis’ next generation.

17. Shalane Flanagan’s marathon of marathons

Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:33:32, completing her goal of running six marathons in six weeks. The 2017 NYC Marathon winner completed the Berlin, Boston, London, Tokyo (remote), Chicago and New York Marathons, running each of them in under three hours. The 40-year-old, now retired from professional running, celebrated the self-imposed project by cheering USWNT icon and fellow NYC Marathon participant Abby Wambach at the race’s finish line.

18. Candace Parker brings WNBA title to Chicago

Candace Parker had a 2021 to remember, winning a WNBA Championship with her hometown team, the Chicago Sky, in her first year with the squad. Parker led the Sky in an unlikely title run, clinching the league championship after entering the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. With help from Finals MVP Kahleah Copper and seasoned veterans Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, Parker clinched her second WNBA title and Chicago’s first championship in franchise history. Later, Parker announced her marriage to Anya Petrakova, with the couple expecting their first child together. Did anyone have a better 2021?

19. The NWSL’s moment of solidarity

The NWSL underwent a league-wide reckoning in 2021 after multiple players went public with a series of accusations of abuse and misconduct against several prominent coaches. A bombshell report in The Athletic rocked the league, with former players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly going on the record with claims of sexual coercion and abuse against former North Carolina coach Paul Riley. The story spurred a sequence of events, including NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird stepping down from her position and the players taking a weekend off from competition. When the athletes returned, they paused at the sixth minute of their matches to recognize the years of silence both Shim and Farrelly endured. A list of demands accompanied the move, instigating an international and ongoing conversation on players’ rights and safety. Needless to say, the league will never be the same.

20. Carli Lloyd’s Philly send-off

Carli Lloyd received a sendoff fit for her historic career after the 39-year-old icon announced she would retire at the end of the NWSL season. Before Lloyd hung up her cleats, her hometown fans got one final chance to watch her play in Subaru Park in Philadelphia after Gotham FC organized a farewell match. The USWNT legend was given a proper salute from nearly 10,000 fans, delivering an emotional farewell speech after the game.

21. Washington Spirit win NWSL title

The Washington Spirit captured the team’s first NWSL Championship in franchise history in November after a rollercoaster season. On the pitch, the team persevered despite several off-field controversies, including former coach Richie Burke’s being fired following reports of abuse, an ongoing public dispute between owners, and two forced forfeits due to a violation of COVID protocols. The Spirit weathered the storm to end their season on a seven-game win streak, including a thrilling 2-1 victory over Chicago in the NWSL final.

JWS Staff

Nov 21, 2024

Direct from Kansas City, ‘The Late Sub’ Previews the 2024 NWSL Championship

Key NWSL Championship player Spirit forward Trinity Rodman makes a heart sign at fans after an NWSL match.
Washington will lean on top scorer Trinity Rodman in Saturday's NWSL Championship match. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins joins the chat from Kansas City, where Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit will kick off the 2024 NWSL Championship on Saturday.

Watkins breaks down the full Championship matchup, from each team's path to the Final to the tactics to expect on Saturday's pitch and everything in between. She also dishes on key players to watch — including Pride star Barbra Banda and Spirit attacker Trinity Rodman — and some of the recent injuries keeping star athletes on the sidelines.

Later, Watkins congratulates UConn head coach Geno Auriemma on Wednesday's record-breaking 1,217th victory — one that made saw him pass retired Stanford boss Tara VanDerveer to become the winningest college basketball coach in NCAA history.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

Claire Watkins

Nov 21, 2024

Berger, Hines Score 2024 NWSL Awards

Gotham goalkeeper and 2024 NWSL goalkeeper of the year award winner Ann-Katrin Berger leaps to save a goal during a match.
Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger earned Goalkeeper of the Year in her first NWSL season. (Ira L. Black - Corbis/Getty Images)

The NWSL is continuing to roll out end-of-year awards this week, with the league's top performers taking home honors in the lead-up to the 2024 Championship.

Joining Rookie of the Year (ROTY) Croix Bethune and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga in earning 2024 hardware is Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger. The German international subsequently became the first European player to win Goalkeeper of the Year on Wednesday, snagging the award in her first NWSL season.

In her 22 matches, Berger logged eight clean sheets. She conceded a league-low 16 goals and posted a save percentage above 80%.

Hines wins Coach of the Year

Also earning a trophy is Orlando Pride boss Seb Hines, who became the 2024 Coach of the Year​ this week.

A former assistant, Hines was​ elevated to interim coach in June 2022 after Orlando placed former head coach Amanda Cromwell​ on administrative leave. Now in his second full year as manager, Hines is already Orlando's winningest coach with a career record of 31-30-12.

After steering his team to a record 24-match unbeaten streak and first-ever NWSL Shield win, Hines ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-2-6 en route to the club's first playoff berth since 2017. Adding onto that 2024 campaign, Hines led the Pride to their first-ever postseason wins.

Orlando also set NWSL records with the most single-season points (60), victories (18), and the longest win streak (eight matches) under Hines.

The 36-year-old beat out Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham's 2023 winner Juan Carlos Amorós to take this year's honor.

2024 NWSL awards nominees Orlando defenders Kylie Strom and Emily Sams high-five after a win in an NWSL game.
Orlando's Kylie Strom and Emily Sams are up for 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports)

Three more NWSL end-of-season awards await

Lastly, the final trio of 2024 NWSL awards will drop in the upcoming days, including Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, and MVP. As fans await those announcements, more than a few finalists are gearing up to play in Saturday's Championship.

Pride defenders Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Spirit center back Tara McKeown are up for Defender of the Year. Meanwhile, Washington's Rookie of the Year Bethune could double-down as Midfielder of the Year.

On top of that, three of the NWSL's MVP candidates — Spirit winger Trinity Rodman and Orlando attackers Marta and Barbra Banda — will feature on the championship pitch.

JWS Staff

Nov 21, 2024

Orlando, Washington Take Aim at 2024 NWSL Championship in Kansas City

2024 NWSL Championship graphic featuring the Spirit and the Pride
Orlando will face Washington in the Pride's first-ever NWSL Championship on Saturday. (Mike Watters/Imagn Images)

All eyes are on Kansas City, as the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit take the pitch one last time in Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship.

Both teams led the league in regular-season play after missing the 2023 NWSL Playoffs entirely. Now, the No. 1 Pride are staring down their first-ever title, while the No. 2 Spirit will look to add a second star to their crest to join their 2021 win.

As the only squad to defeat Washington twice this season, Orlando holds the pair's head-to-head advantage. The Pride's second win over the Spirit also served as​ their 2024 Shield coronation — a match that saw Washington captain Andi Sullivan's season end in an ACL tear. 

MVP candidates lead championship charge

With three of the 2024 NWSL MVP candidates on Saturday's title-defining pitch, both Orlando and Washington will look to their superstars to lead them to glory.

The Pride's strength lies in Brazilian icon Marta and Zambian striker Barbra Banda, who've proven unstoppable in the attack throughout the postseason. Scoring five of Orlando's seven playoff goals between them, Banda has now netted 16 NWSL goals in 2024, with Marta notching 11.

Leading the Spirit's offensive charge is potential MVP Trinity Rodman. With eight league goals on the year, Rodman has yet to find the back of the net in the postseason, though she's been key to Washington's fight by creating scoring opportunities throughout the playoffs.

Alongside Rodman, NWSL newcomers have been stepping up for the Spirit all season. Most recently, Hal Hershfelt propelled Washington to the final with a rocket of a header in last weekend's semifinals. The Spirit's young core could be the difference-maker in Saturday's showdown.

Washington rookie Hal Hershfelt celebrates a goal while teammate Makenna Morris looks on at an NWSL game.
Prolific offense could decide the 2024 NWSL champion. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Explosive offense to decide 2024 NWSL Champion

The old adage that defense wins championships is likely to be challenged on Saturday as offense takes centerstage.

Subsequently, fans can expect the NWSL Final to come down to whichever team manages to score at-will. With Washington's 51 regular-season goals good for second in the NWSL and Orlando sliding in third with 46, the pair's attacking prowess is set to determine who lifts the league's luxury hardware.

How to watch the 2024 NWSL Championship

Hosted at Kansas City's CPKC Stadium, the 2024 NWSL Championship kicks off at 8 PM ET on Saturday. Live coverage will air on CBS and Paramount+.

Dee Lab

Nov 20, 2024

UConn Coach Geno Auriemma Nears VanDerveer’s All-Time NCAA Wins Record

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma celebrates the Huskies' 2024 Elite 8 win.
Geno Auriemma is poised to become the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is on the brink of becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, with the No. 2 Huskies hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night.

Should UConn win, Auriemma will surpass retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer after pulling even with her 1,216 career wins with last Friday's victory over No. 16 UNC. Unlike VanDerveer, who had stints leading Idaho and Ohio State prior to Stanford, Auriemma's entire head coaching career has been his 40 years at UConn.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and his longtime associate head coach Chris Dailey give instructions on the sideline.
Geno Auriemma, alongside his right-hand Chris Dailey, has led UConn for 40 seasons. (Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Forty seasons of UConn excellence for Auriemma

Already a bonafide legend of the game, Auriemma has helmed UConn's women's basketball program since 1985, inheriting a team that had only seen one winning season prior to his arrival.

"We started at ground zero, at nothing — we didn’t have the advantage of location, the advantages of the reputation of the school, we didn’t have the luxury of a big-time league that could elevate us," Auriemma explained. "We started at the absolute ground level and it has evolved into this.”

Of course, Auriemma is referring to the program's stacked resume. That success stems from his high standards, recruiting prowess, and the work ethic and selflessness he demands from his players.

In total, the nine-time AP Coach of the Year boasts a record 11 national championships, including a stranglehold on the NCAA title from 2013 to 2016. His Huskies have completed six undefeated seasons and featured in 23 Final Fours — more than any other NCAA team, men's or women's.

Rightfully sharing in Auriemma's record is his veritable partner-in-crime, associate head coach Chris Dailey, who has served UConn alongside Auriemma all 40 seasons.

The 1995 UConn team celebrates their first-ever national championship at a pep rally.
Auriemma's first-ever championship team in 1995 included future WNBA star Rebecca Lobo. (Bob Stowell/Getty Images)

UConn's unmatched legacy of world-class athletes

Wednesday's sold-out game will include dozens of Auriemma's former players in attendance. At least 63 — from superstars Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi to Maya Moore — are expected to make the trip to Storrs to celebrate the milestone.

Subsequently, Athletes are Auriemma's true legacy. The 70-year-old is responsible for shaping the players who arguably put not just UConn, but women's basketball on the national map.

The Huskies' first-ever Final Four appearance in 1991 allowed Auriemma to take serious aim at the country's top high school recruits. And it was center Rebecca Lobo who first took a chance on the program.

Despite her parents' protests, Lobo chose the relative unknown over established dynasties specifically to learn from Auriemma.

"He was the selling point. The reason to go there was to play for him. That has stayed consistent, but especially in the early years," Lobo recently told reporters. "He could be the one to usher you into the best version of yourself."

At her 1,000-point celebration, UConn guard Paige Bueckers poses with coach Geno Auriemma.
Current UConn star Paige Bueckers continues Auriemma's legacy of excellence. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Coach Auriemma's UConn-to-WNBA pipeline

That "best version" has turned many UConn players into stellar pros. Including Lobo, who became UConn's first WNBA player during the league's 1997 formation, a total of 47 Huskies have featured in the WNBA. Last season, 17 former UConn players were on the league's rosters, with at least one on all 12 teams.

Current star Paige Bueckers is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, putting Auriemma on the verge of sending a sixth top pick to the league. Previously, other No. 1 picks include Bird, Taurasi, Moore, Tina Charles, and Breanna Stewart.

The future pro is always quick to sing Auriemma's praises, summing up what so many players echo about the coach. "It means everything to play for UConn, and to play for him," Bueckers recently said.

As for Auriemma, who's currently contracted to continue his Huskies' dominance through 2029, Wednesday's likely milestone snuck up on him.

"I don’t think anybody goes into anything thinking that they're going to spend 40 years of their life at one place doing the exact same thing," Auriemma told reporters earlier this week. "The best way I can describe it, you know, it just caught up to me."

How to watch UConn vs. Fairleigh Dickinson women's college basketball

The star-studded sold-out game honoring UConn head coach Geno Auriemma will tip off in Storrs against Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 PM ET on Wednesday. Live regional coverage will air on SNY.

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