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Serena Williams’ undying legacy: Our Sportsperson of the Year

Serena Williams helped set new attendance records as she advanced to the third round of the US Open in September. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

For years, it felt like Serena Williams was going to be able to play professional tennis forever. Her advantages in natural talent and experience provided a well that had never fully run dry, even in the years after the birth of her daughter, Olympia, as a 24th Grand Slam title continued to elude the tennis star.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do,” Williams wrote in her retirement announcement — though she says she doesn’t like that word, preferring to call the next stage of her career an “evolution.”

The final chapter of her illustrious career ended in New York City in early September, marking perhaps the most high-profile retirement in a year that said goodbye to a number of women’s sports icons. But in perfect Williams fashion, she wouldn’t commit to never playing again, and if history is a living thing, it’s difficult to see her exit as a final parting.

There is no real goodbye when Williams’ handprint will be on the sports world forever, and that makes Williams our 2022 Sportsperson of the Year.

The kid from Compton was introduced to the sport of tennis under sister Venus’ wing, only to emerge as the greatest of all time. The 23-time Grand Slam winner was never anything less than her full self, battling both racism and sexism in addition to her opponents on the other side of the court.

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Serena Williams won her first U.S. Open as a 17-year-old in 1999. (Jamie Squire/Allsport)

The ease with which Serena handled adversity made her ultimate concession to her final opponent — time — a surprise. At the 2021 Australian Open, Williams looked like she could finally make the push for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam, in a Flo-Jo inspired outfit that paid tribute to her own legend in real time.

But when she left the court after a semifinal defeat to eventual champion Naomi Osaka, the question of whether this was her final appearance in Australia naturally arose. At the time, the notion felt almost ridiculous. Williams was a Grand Slam semifinalist and arguably the second-best player in the entire tournament. And yet, it was the last time she would make it deep into the second week of a Grand Slam.

With Williams’ announcement coming prior to the U.S. Open, fans got to watch Williams play with the understanding of what every point meant in its entirety. Her daughter sat in the stands wearing the same iconic beads in her hair that became Serena and Venus’ calling card in the early days of their careers. The Slam broke attendance records, with an adoring public realizing that it was now or never. Fans poured into the stands and sat on the grass outside the grandstand, simply wanting to be near a Serena Williams match for the last time.

And by the nature of a knockout tournament, Williams’ progression through the Open extended not only her summer in New York, but also her identity as an active professional tennis player. Every rally, every ace, every break point saved and serve held felt like life and death, and the world, for one week, lived those moments with her.

Williams chose to compete in the doubles tournament with Venus, which ironically might have influenced her energy levels in singles and what ended up being the final match of her professional career. Williams never quite matched the 2021 fitness levels she showed in Australia in 2022, but her gifts as a tennis player always seemed to supersede the inevitable.

During that run, Williams reminded us how distinctly she could flip a game, returning the ball with an un-hittable velocity and hitting clean shots in clutch moments. Williams’ aces are the stuff of legend, used to get out of a bind as frequently as to close out a win. She’d face a double or triple break point, and with one serve after another, she’d come right back.

With every push and every “COME ON,” it was easy to believe that Williams could do this forever. She played two of the longest matches of her career in her final year as a professional, first at Wimbledon and again at the U.S. Open. Every point came with adversity — without the control to close things out quickly, but with a sense of purpose that never let up.

“I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus,” she said, with tears in her eyes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. What went unspoken was the understanding that, without Serena, there wouldn’t be so many of the challengers who stood up to the greatest over the years.

Naomi Osaka, Williams’ foil at both the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2021 Australian Open, said, “I think I’m a product of what she’s done. I wouldn’t be here without Serena.” She has also openly related to the struggles of being a prominent Black athlete in the sport of tennis, reliving Venus and Serena’s experience of harassment at Indian Wells as recently as this year.

At Arthur Ashe in September, Williams’ final opponent, Ajla Tomljanovic, played the match of her life. The two women, 12 years apart in age, fought for an advantage for over three hours. Williams, at times, looked brilliant, but she struggled to hold onto a lead and then kept fighting back when her serve failed her, forcing a decisive third set.

The end of that set felt like it lasted a lifetime. She fought back from facing five different match points, doing just enough to delay the inevitable. Her competitive career ended on an extended deuce, as she fought not for the match itself, but just one more return, one more clean hit of a tennis ball on the grandest of stages. We would have sat in that moment with her forever.

“I’d like to think that I went through some hard times as a professional tennis player so that the next generation could have it easier. Over the years, I hope that people come to think of me as symbolizing something bigger than tennis,” Williams wrote in her retirement announcement.

Within her undying legacy, she’s never really going away.

Retirements in sports are unlike those in any other industry. An iconic athlete gets a chance to restart as something new and rejoin a community with a fresh perspective. The sports world will only benefit from the new, evolved Serena Williams, but there is also sadness in this particular ending.

“I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis,” Serena wrote.

So will we.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Top Seeds Minnesota, Las Vegas Dominate Game 1 of the WNBA Playoffs

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier lines up a free throw during the first game of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx blew out the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday. (Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs is in the books, with the top two seeds putting up more than 100 points each in blowout wins when the postseason tipped off on Sunday.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx opened the playoffs' eight-team first round with a 101-72 drubbing of the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, as MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier led scoring with 20 points while guard Natisha Hiedeman added 18 off the bench.

Elsewhere, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' 102-77 victory over the No. 7 Seattle Storm capped Sunday's slate, with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson leading the way with 29 points alongside double-digit performances off the bench from guards Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.

The lower seeds walked away less unscathed, as Valkyries boss and Coach of the Year favorite Natalie Nakase picked up a technical foul for arguing a call in the game's second half.

"I want a fair fight, I really do. I want a clean fight, but I love the fact that both teams are playing their hearts out," she said afterwards, criticizing Sunday's officiating. "They're fighting. But I would like it to be fair."

"I understand it, but it's the playoffs," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said in response. "Obviously, we fouled a lot at the end. But I didn't think that was a factor in the game."

How to watch the top seeds in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

Both Minnesota and Las Vegas are now one win away from advancing to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals.

The No. 2 Aces will look to sweep the No. 7 Storm at 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN.

Then on Wednesday, the No. 1 Lynx will try to silence the No. 8 Valkyries at 10 PM ET, with live coverage also on ESPN.

New York Liberty Star Breanna Stewart Exits Game 1 Ahead of WNBA Playoffs OT Win

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally tries to block a pass from New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart during Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart exited Sunday's 2025 WNBA Playoffs Game 1 with an apparent knee injury. (Aryanna Frank/Getty Images)

The No. 5 New York Liberty secured the sole upset in the Sunday tip-off of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, topping the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury 76-69 following a tightly contested Game 1 overtime battle.

Liberty guard Natasha Cloud dropped a game-leading 23 points on her former team, while Mercury star Alyssa Thomas neared yet another triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists on the night.

"I'm proud of the way we stuck together, we weathered the runs they went on, and ultimately found a way to win," New York guard Sabrina Ionescu said after the game.

The newly healthy Liberty will hope for full availability in Game 2, though forward Breanna Stewart went down with a knock to the knee in overtime after posting an 18-point performance on Sunday.

"We're just hoping that she will be okay," New York head coach Sandy Brondello said after the game.

Brondello also confirmed that it was Stewart who asked for a sub in overtime after coming down hard on her left knee.

Concerns about the health of the two-time WNBA MVP — who recently returned from missing 13 games with a bone bruise on her right knee — overshadowed the defending champions' comeback win.

How to watch Phoenix vs. New York in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The No. 5 Liberty now return to New York looking to knock the No. 4 Mercury out of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a Game 2 victory on Wednesday.

The matchup tips off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.

WNBA Playoffs Dark Horse Atlanta Dream Pushes Past Indiana Fever in Game 1 Win

The Atlanta Dream smile and huddle before their Game 1 matchup against the Indiana Fever in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever on Sunday, earning their first playoff win in more than five years. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 3 Atlanta Dream won their first postseason game since 2018 on Sunday, downing the No. 6 Indiana Fever 80-68 in Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs as they continue making a case for this season's dark horse.

The Dream's starters shouldered the bulk of Sunday's scoring, punctuated by 20-point performances from forward Rhyne Howard and guard Allisha Gray, while the Fever's Kelsey Mitchell put up 27 points to give her injury-laden team a chance.

"This is [this roster's] first home game, period, in the playoffs," Howard reminded reporters after the win. "So for us to even have accomplished that much to have the home-court advantage, we knew we had to make it a good one."

Atlanta hasn't made it past the first round since the 2016 playoffs, but a dominant regular season has the team eyeing a long-awaited return to the WNBA semifinals.

This year's Dream won a franchise-record 30 games under first-year head coach Karl Smesko, while also leading the league in rebounds per game.

"This wasn't going to be a year that we were going to be satisfied with everybody telling us, 'Wow, you really improved over last year,'" said Smesko. "That's not what we're trying to do. We're trying to be the best team in the league."

How to watch Atlanta vs. Indiana in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The short-staffed No. 6 Indiana will look to halt the No. 6 Atlanta Dream's momentum on Tuesday, when the first round's Game 2 takes over Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the Fever's first home playoff game since 2016.

The 2025 WNBA Playoffs will continue when the Dream visit the Fever at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN.

Jaedyn Shaw Scores Against Former NWSL Club San Diego in Gotham Debut

New Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw walks across the pitch after her first NWSL match with the NJ/NY club.
Jaedyn Shaw scored in her Gotham debut to send her new NWSL club surging to No. 3 in the 2025 standings. (Gotham FC)

Jaedyn Shaw hit the ground running in her Gotham FC debut this weekend, as the NJ/NY club's recent $1.25 million-dollar signing scored against her former club in Friday's 2-0 win over the now-No. 5 San Diego Wave — helping boost the Bats to No. 3 in the 2025 NWSL standings.

"This year has been really difficult," an emotional Shaw said after the match. "I'm so grateful for this team and the opportunities I've gotten this year…. I'm extremely grateful for this moment."

The 20-year-old previously shattered scoring records during her time with San Diego, but struggled this year after her offseason transfer to the North Carolina Courage.

Already finding the back of the net for her new team, Shaw will look to put the past behind her as Gotham extends their climb up the table, having risen from No. 8 to No. 3 behind a four-game unbeaten streak that now includes three straight wins.

Gotham forward Esther González is also excelling, retaking the lead in the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race by tallying her 13th goal of the season in the last minute of Friday's first half against the Wave.

With the club gaining momentum and the 2025 NWSL Playoffs looming, Gotham is looking to make a run to add a second championship trophy to their 2023 title.

"Even in the most difficult moments, they've stayed united, kept pushing together, and kept working hard. That's been our key," said head coach Juan Carlos Amorós after Friday's match.

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