The Oklahoma softball team isn’t going to apologize for the energy they bring to the field.

On Tuesday, head coach Patty Gasso said that she tells her players to be “unapologetic” in the way they play the game, which includes celebrating walks.

“Because women have worked so hard to get here yet still get judged for those things,” Gasso said. “That’s the way we play, and that’s what people enjoy. Or you don’t. You either like it or you don’t, but we’re not going to apologize for these players knowing the game and celebrating the right way.”

The No. 1-ranked team in the country is riding an NCAA-record 51-game winning streak into the Women’s College World Series championship series beginning Wednesday against No. 3 Florida State, giving them plenty of reasons to celebrate.

The Sooners ran up against a tough test in the semifinals against star pitcher NiJaree Canady and Stanford, pulling out a win in extra innings on Monday while animatedly celebrating their victories, both big and small.

“We can’t satisfy anyone, and that’s not why we play this game,” said Oklahoma’s Alyssa Brito. “That’s not why we’re here doing what we’re doing is to satisfy anyone. So I think for me, I’m going to stay being who I am and stay true to who I am. And if that passion that I have offends anyone, it’s just kind of like, ‘OK, I’m not going to allow anyone to kind of change my game.'”

The players have noticed fans publicly criticizing their behavior, but center fielder Jayda Coleman said Tuesday that she’s stayed off social media during the tournament “because that would fire me up and maybe just want to do it even more.”

Coleman, tied for the team lead in home runs with 17, was named a First Team All-American this season. She noted that a double standard exists between celebrations in men’s and women’s sports — a debate that also came to the forefront after the women’s NCAA basketball championship game in April.

“I really don’t get it,” Coleman said. “I feel like we are continuously — and softball itself — are just breaking barriers. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and I feel like it’s just very disappointing to just see people just trying to tear us down in that type of way.

“Maybe not tearing us down, but just kind of making it into a negative light when you’re seeing the MLB players do the exact same thing or the NBA or NFL, throwing their helmets and having emotion. Like, why can’t we have emotion? We are in the same stakes as them. We are athletes just like them. Why can we not wear our emotions on their sleeves?”

Sooners shortstop Grace Lyons added on Tuesday that the team’s celebrations have little to do with their opponents.

“What we do is to bring passion to our own circle, and it’s never against anyone else,” she said. “So, I just want to say that that’s not how we play. People may take it that way, but it’s all for our own joy and passion, never to tear down.”

Oklahoma is looking to win its third straight NCAA softball championship this week, with Game 1 against Florida State kicking off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Oklahoma softball isn’t taking its Women’s College World Series run for granted.

The Sooners (59-1) won their 51st consecutive game Monday, beating Stanford 4-2 in the WCWS semifinals. The extra-innings win came against a Cardinal team that features pitcher NiJaree Canady, who proved tough for the Oklahoma batters to crack.

Yet like much about Oklahoma softball, the win seemed inevitable. So did the result: The Sooners reached their fourth consecutive WCWS championship series, where they’ll vie for their third consecutive title. They’ll face Florida State, the team they beat in 2021 to start their run of championships. They also beat the Seminoles earlier this season.

For Oklahoma, though, what matters is not what has come before but what comes next. Take star player Tiare Jennings, who hit the game-winning two-run double against Stanford — but only after the Cardinal intentionally walked Jayda Coleman to get to her.

“It didn’t really matter to me,” Jennings said. “Either way, I was going to have to find a way to either get on or help my team the best way I can. We talked about not being results-oriented, and that’s what happened today. I didn’t get results I wanted earlier in the game, but I was going to keep swinging.”

Jennings brought in two runs and tied former Oklahoma star slugger Jocelyn Alo for the WCWS career RBI record.

Oklahoma pitcher Jordy Bahl has been lights out in the WCWS, not allowing a run in 14 ⅔ innings. For Bahl, the game plan boils down to this: “Be present, stay simple.”

“The second I try to do too much with any one of my pitches, I start overthrowing and things tend to go downhill,” she said.

And as Oklahoma looks to win another title and firmly cement their status as a dynasty, they’re enjoying the moment.

“We win a lot. And that’s fabulous,” Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said. “But sometimes we’re so used to taking it for granted. This means a lot. This means a lot to get to the championship game.”

Oklahoma softball kept its record 51-game winning streak alive, outlasting Stanford in extra innings Monday to reach the Women’s College World Series finals.

Stanford entered the eight-team WCWS in Oklahoma City as the second-lowest seed. The Cardinal were seeded No. 9 overall in the 64-team postseason field but advanced to the WCWS semifinals with wins against No. 5 Alabama and No. 7 Washington.

Stanford’s tournament run set up a rematch with Oklahoma. The Sooners notched a 2-0 win against the Cardinal in the first game of the double-elimination WCWS last Thursday. The Cardinal needed two wins Monday against the Sooners to advance, while the Sooners just needed one win to eliminate the Cardinal.

Led by pitcher NiJaree Canady, Stanford pushed Oklahoma to the brink in the opening game of the semifinals, but Oklahoma won 4-2 in nine innings to advance to the championship series for the fourth consecutive year.

Kylie Chung’s two-run blast in the first inning gave Stanford an early 2-0 lead. Oklahoma clawed its way back, with a solo home run from Jayda Coleman tying the game in the third inning, but Canady held the Sooners’ bats in check. The Cardinal freshman, who pitched a one-hitter Sunday against Washington to help Stanford advance to the semifinals, held her own against a formidable Oklahoma lineup.

The game went to extra innings tied 2-2. After Stanford stranded two runners in the bottom of the eighth, Oklahoma went ahead in the top of the ninth off a two-run double from Tiare Jennings. Sooners pitcher Jordy Bahl then closed out the win in the bottom of the inning.

Oklahoma is seeking its third straight WCWS title. The Sooners also won in 2021 and 2022. The only team in NCAA softball history to claim three titles in a row is UCLA, which won in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

In 2012 and 2013, Sydney Steele was in the stands cheering on her sister, Haley Steele, while she competed for Arizona State University at the Women’s College World Series.

A decade later, Haley is cheering for her Sydney and her Stanford Cardinal teammates — using an identical homemade sign. The two sisters — both #32 — are eight years apart.

After losing its opening game to Oklahoma, Stanford fought back against elimination on Friday night against Alabama. Sydney delivered an RBI double in the second inning before scoring a solo home run in the seventh, leading Stanford to a 2-0 win over the Crimson.

Sydney credits Haley — who also scored a home run during the 2013 Women’s College World Series — with fueling her love of softball and inspiring her to reach this stage.

“Watching my sister play college ball, she’s my reason why I love softball. I grew up around it,” Sydney said after Stanford’s win on Friday. “My dream was always to come to the Women’s College World Series, just like she did, one day.”

Despite having competed at the WCWS herself, Haley is still in awe watching her sister.

“I’m my sister’s greatest supporter and to see her hard work pay off on the biggest stage in our sport is surreal,” she told Just Women’s Sports. “Sydney, her teammates, and coaches have most definitely earned their ticket to be here and I’d like to see Stanford get the job done this year. That’s my little sister and she came to compete!”

The NCAA softball super regionals are complete, with eight teams advancing to the Women’s College World Series.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down all eight matchups. Each best-of-three series was hosted by the higher seed.

Norman Super Regional — Norman, Oklahoma
No. 1 Oklahoma eliminates No. 16 Clemson, 2-0

  • Game 1: Oklahoma 9, Clemson 2
  • Game 2: Oklahoma 8, Clemson 7 (9)
  • Oklahoma advances to the Women’s College World Series

Oklahoma broke the record for longest winning streak in NCAA softball history with Saturday’s comeback win over Clemson, which marked the Sooners’ 48th win — besting the mark set by Alabama, which strung together 47 wins between 1996 and 1997. The two-time reigning champions have lost just one game all season, way back in February.

Tallahassee Super Regional — Tallahassee, Florida
No. 3 Florida State eliminates No. 14 Georgia, 2-0

  • Game 1: Florida State 8, Georgia 1
  • Game 2: Florida State 4, Georgia 2
  • Florida State advances to the Women’s College World Series

Florida State pitcher Kathryn Sandercock threw a perfect game to send her team to the super regionals. The ACC regular season and tournament title winners, the Seminoles sold out tickets for the super regional round in just one minute.

Knoxville Super Regional — Knoxville, Tennessee
No. 4 Tennessee eliminates No. 13 Texas, 2-0

  • Game 1: Tennessee 5, Texas 2
  • Game 2: Tennessee 9, Texas 0
  • Tennessee advances to the Women’s College World Series

While teams went undefeated in their regionals, the Volunteers advance to the WCWS, capping their super regionals sweep with a six-run seventh inning to close out a 9-0 win against the Longhorns.

Tuscaloosa Super Regional — Tuscaloosa, Alabama
No. 5 Alabama eliminates No. 12 Northwestern, 2-1

  • Game 1: Northwestern 3, Alabama 1
  • Game 2: Alabama 2, Northwestern 1
  • Game 3: Alabama 3, Northwestern 2
  • Alabama advances to the Women’s College World Series

Despite losing the first game, Alabama responded in games 2 and 3 to make it to their 14th WCWS. Northwestern landed plenty on base, but ultimately could not complete the series.

Stillwater Super Regional — Stillwater, Oklahoma
No. 6 Oklahoma State eliminates Oregon, 2-0

  • Game 1: Oklahoma State 8, Oregon 1
  • Game 2: Oklahoma State 9, Oregon 0
  • Oklahoma State advances to the Women’s College World Series

With the 2-0 series win, Oklahoma State will compete in the WCWS for a third straight year. Oregon was one of just three unseeded teams to make it to the super regional round.

Seattle Super Regional — Seattle, Washington
No. 7 Washington eliminates Louisiana, 2-0

  • Game 1: Washington 8, Louisiana 0 (5)
  • Game 2: Washington 2, Louisiana 0
  • Washington advances to the Women’s College World Series

Perhaps nobody had a crazier game entering the super regionals than Washington, who came back from down six runs in the final inning to win and advance. The Huskies then swept Louisiana with two shutouts to reach the WCWS.

Durham Super Regional — Durham, North Carolina
No. 9 Stanford eliminates No. 8 Duke, 2-0

  • Game 1: Stanford 3, Duke 1
  • Game 2: Stanford 7, Duke 2
  • Stanford advances to the Women’s College World Series

Stanford advances to its third WCWS in program history and its first since 2004. Alana Vawter picked up her 20th win for the Cardinal in Saturday’s series-clinching win.

Salt Lake City Super Regional — Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 15 Utah eliminates San Diego State, 2-1

  • Game 1: San Diego State 4, Utah 3
  • Game 2: Utah 10, San Diego State 1
  • Game 3: Utah 7, San Diego State 2
  • Utah advances to the Women’s College World Series

Everything went right for Utah on Sunday, as they took down San Diego State to advance to their first WCWS since 1994.

Two-time reigning Women’s College World Series champion Oklahoma is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA softball tournament after going 51-1 on the season.

This year’s tournament marks the fourth straight in which the Sooners have held the top seed, and they’re looking to take their third consecutive title.

Ahead of the NCAA tournament, Oklahoma beat Texas to take the Big 12 tournament championship, confirming its status as the overwhelming favorite to take the national title again.

UCLA sits at No. 2 overall, and Florida State holds the No. 3 seed, followed by Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Washington and Duke among the top eight seeds.

No. 9 Stanford, No. 10 LSU, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 12 Northwestern, No. 13 Texas, No. 14 Georgia, No. 15 Utah and No. 16 Clemson all round out the top 16, as well as the teams hosting regionals.

“The committee had to look at a lot of really good teams with good résumés, especially for the top eight,” selection committee chair Kelly Gatwood said on the selection show. “We really had to dig deep and look at top-10 wins that would help us differentiate.”

Oklahoma has lost just one game all season, on Feb. 18 at Baylor. It was the Sooners’ first loss since last year’s WCWS, when UCLA scored a 7-3 win against Oklahoma before the Sooners got their revenge in an elimination game.

“We have a very balanced lineup and a balanced team,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso said during the selection show. “It’s consistency, grit, hard work, clutch — all those things you need in the postseason.”

Oklahoma, which will face Hofstra in the first round, leads the nation with a team ERA of 0.86. The Sooners also lead the country in batting average (.368), on-base percentage (.463) and scoring (423 runs) and are second in homers (94).

UCLA could provide a challenge, led by Maya Brady, who has hit .458 on the season. The Bruins will host Grand Canyon in their opener.

Regionals run from May 19-21, with the super regionals set for May 25-28. The final eight teams left in the bracket will compete in the Women’s College World Series, which begins June 1 in Oklahoma City, with the finals June 7-9.

You can view the full NCAA bracket here.

Oklahoma softball has started the season right where it left off: scoring runs.

Through the Sooners’ first five games of 2023, they’ve outscored opponents 29-5 and run-ruled teams twice, including No. 17 Stanford. The dominance should not come as a surprise for the reigning national champions, who are coming off back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

But if you ask head coach Patty Gasso, the team is not thinking about a three-peat.

“We don’t talk about winning three,” she said. “Those are words that we’re not really talking about around here because it’s premature. It’s really about the process. It’s the journey. It’s all of that, all the work we put in.”

The No. 1 team in the country, Oklahoma is without Jocelyn Alo for the first time in five years after the NCAA career home runs leader graduated. But they’re not without the talent to fill her shoes.

Junior slugger Tiare Jennings is one of the best players in the country, setting World Series records last season with 15 RBIs and five home runs. Sophomore pitcher Jordy Bahl should benefit from having a year of experience under her belt, and redshirt senior Grace Lyons is coming off a career season in which she recorded 23 home runs and 70 RBIs.

Still, Gasso feels as though the team could settle in better, despite a 5-0 start in the opening weekend in which the Sooners dominated their opponents on the scoreboard.

“I thought nerves definitely were there,” she told The Oklahoman. “The first two games on Thursday, we were not ourselves. We were not. And we were lucky to get out of there with two wins.

“Our expectations and our standards are quite high, and they know that. They know they were lucky to walk out of there with five wins. This weekend, we’re looking forward to getting things straightened out.”

While she’s proud of how her team responded at times, she recognizes the need for players to let loose a little more.

“We’ve got to breathe, we’ve got to slow things down, we’ve got to not make the game too big,” she said. “I think they know how good our team is, and I think they try hard because they want to stay in their positions.”

From NWSL MVP Sophia Smith to Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, from college basketball star Aliyah Boston to world-class runner Athing Mu, the future of women’s sports looks bright.

As we enter a new year, Just Women’s Sports takes a look at 23 athletes under 23 years old who we expect to shine in 2023.

One note: The list is limited to American athletes. So while athletes such as Germany’s Lena Oberdorf, Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and more should be considered among the best young stars in the world, they are not included here.

Seasoned pros

Mia Fishel, 21 – Soccer

Why has Fishel not earned a call-up to the U.S. women’s national team? That question is only becoming more pressing as she continues to make her name in Liga MX.

One of the brightest young soccer stars, Fishel became the first foreign-born player to win the league’s Golden Boot with 17 goals for UANL Tigres. She also helped lead the Tigres to the Liga MX title. Fishel’s abilities — and her potential — made her an easy choice for this list.

Naomi Girma, 22 – Soccer

Girma is the present and future of the USWNT defense. After she was taken No. 1 overall in the last NWSL Draft, Girma had just about as good of a rookie season as one could have. Not only did the San Diego Wave star win Rookie of the Year, she was also named Defender of the Year and earned a spot among the NWSL’s Best XI.

She made her first appearance for the USWNT in April. Since then, she’s recorded 10 caps and was named to the Best XI for the Concacaf W Championship.

Rhyne Howard, 22 – Basketball

Howard had a stellar 2022, which culminated in the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. The No. 1 overall draft pick out of Kentucky in April, she became the lone rookie to earn a roster spot for the All-Star game and took Rookie of the Month honors every month from May to August. Howard finished the season at eighth on the scoring list with 16.2 points per game.

Trinity Rodman, 20 – Soccer

For Rodman, 2021 served as a coming-out party, and 2022 continued the celebration. She became the youngest player drafted in NWSL history in 2021 and helped lead the Spirit to the NWSL title that same year. She followed that up with a record contract in 2022, and in August she was named one of 20 finalists for the prestigious Ballon d’Or.

Internationally, Rodman scored her first USWNT goal in 2022 after making her national team debut in February. She just continues to get better, and that shouldn’t change in 2023.

Sophia Smith, 22 – Soccer

Smith is one of the best young soccer players in the world right now. At just 22 years old, she led the USWNT in scoring in 2022 with 11 goals, becoming the youngest player to do so since 21-year-old Mia Hamm in 1993.

In 2022, the Portland Thorns forward also became the youngest NWSL MVP, and she was named MVP of the championship match and as a member of the league’s Best XI. And she very well could be adding U.S. Soccer Player of the Year to her list of accolades. As the national team sets its sights on the 2023 World Cup, Smith will be a key piece for the defending champions.

Olympic medalists

Jordan Chiles, 21 – Gymnastics

After she helped the United States to a team silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she played a key role in the team winning gold at the World Championships in 2022. She also earned silver medals in the vault and floor exercises. Chiles is one to watch as the 2024 Olympic cycle approaches.

Kate Douglass, 21 – Swimming

Douglass put together arguably the greatest individual performance in collegiate swimming history in 2022, breaking American records in three separate events — in three separate strokes and distances.

The Virginia senior followed up that performance by winning three medals at the World Championships, including bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke. At the short course World Championships in December, she won two individual gold medals and seven total medals.

Eileen Gu, 19 – Skiing

Gu stunned the world in 2022, winning Olympic gold in big air and halfpipe while also capturing a silver in slopestyle. Born in the United States but competing for China, she became the youngest gold-medal winner ever in freestyle skiing and became just the second woman to land a double cork 1620 in competition on her first attempt.

As her celebrity skyrocketed, sponsorship deals also poured in for Gu. She finished the year as the third-highest-paid female athlete behind tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, bringing in an astounding $20.1 million, according to Forbes.

Torri Huske, 20 – Swimming

After finishing the NCAA season strong, Huske was a member of Team USA at the World Championships in June. There, she won the 100 butterfly in a new American record time for her first individual world title. She also claimed a bronze in the 100 freestyle, and she led all swimmers with six total medals.

She continued that run at the short course World Championships in December, winning seven total medals and topping the podium four times. As the swimming world starts to set its eyes on the Paris Olympics, Huske will be one to watch.

Chloe Kim, 22 – Snowboarding

Kim had a successful 2022, defending her 2018 Olympic title in the halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics. She scored a 94, well above the rest of the competition, and is eyeing a return for the 2026 Olympics. If she tops the podium again in Italy, she would become the first woman ever to earn three Olympic gold medals in snowboarding.

Suni Lee, 19 – Gymnastics

After she became a household name at the Tokyo Olympics, Lee began her freshman year at Auburn. While there, she won the 2022 national title in the balance beam and placed second in the all-around. She has announced that the upcoming NCAA season will be her last as she plans to return to elite gymnastics, with her sights set on the 2024 Olympics.

Athing Mu, 20 – Track and field

Following up on her stunning Olympic campaign in 2021, Mu continued her run in 2022, winning the world title in the 800 meters. In doing so, she became the first American woman to win the world title in the 800 and the youngest woman in history to win both Olympic and world titles in an individual track and field event.

Mu hasn’t lost on the outdoor track since Sept. 2019, a streak that dates back three years. Look for her to continue to dominate the track in 2023.

College Stars

Aliyah Boston, 21 – Basketball

Boston’s trophy case must be groaning under the weight of all her awards from 2022. She won the national championship with South Carolina, and she was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. She also won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Wooden Award and the AP Player of the Year award.

You name it, she won it in 2022 — except for the ESPY for Best Collegiate Athlete, which went to Jocelyn Alo. But that doesn’t take away from Boston’s accomplishments. She’s also started her senior season with similar success. The undefeated Gamecocks have a good shot at winning back-to-back titles, and that’s largely due to Boston.

Paige Bueckers, 21 – Basketball

It’s hard to know what kind of year Bueckers will have in 2023, as she will miss all of this season with a knee injury. But Bueckers’ capabilities cannot be disputed. Even after missing much of last season with a knee injury, she returned to help lead UConn to the national championship game.

Caitlin Clark, 20 – Basketball

Iowa basketball would not be Iowa basketball without Clark. Known for her logo 3-pointers and insane range, she single-handedly has sought to will Iowa to victory multiple times this season.

As a sophomore in the 2021-22 season, Clark became the first women’s player to lead the NCAA in scoring and assists. She also had a streak of 19 games with at least 15 points and five assists, the longest such streak in women’s basketball. Only Trae Young at Oklahoma has recorded a longer such streak.

Azzi Fudd, 20 – Basketball

In the absence of Bueckers, Fudd stepped up in a big way for UConn to start this season. Before she went down with her own knee injury in early December, the sophomore led the Huskies in scoring with 20.6 points while adding 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 rebounds. She also posted 32 points against a then-top 5 Texas team, tying her with Diana Taurasi for the most points scored by a UConn player against a top-five opponent. And she should be making her return to the court soon.

Caroline Harvey, 20 – Ice hockey

The youngest player named to the 2021 World Championship roster for Team USA, Harvey subsequently made the Olympic and World Championship rosters in 2022. The defender had a stellar run at worlds, recording three goals and five assists for eight points. She’s in the midst of her freshman year at Wisconsin, with 25 points — including 18 assists — through 21 games.

Taylor Heise, 22 – Ice hockey

Heise entered her fifth year at Minnesota on a high note. A member of Team USA and the 2022 winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, she made her World Championship debut in 2022 with a bang. En route to the silver medal, Heise led the tournament in scoring with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) through seven games. She was named Best Forward and tournament MVP.

The Golden Gophers star is not done rolling. Through 19 games this season, she has 13 goals and 21 assists, which puts her on track to beat her 29 goals and 37 assists through 39 games last season.

Rose Zhang, 19 – Golf

Zhang became the first athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas in June after she won the individual NCAA title and helped lead Stanford to its second NCAA title. In her freshman season, she broke the NCAA’s single-season scoring average with an astounding 69.68.

She received invitations to the U.S. Open and British Open this year, finishing tied for 40th and tied for 28th, respectively. She’s topped the world amateurs ranking for two years in a row. Look out for Zhang to make another NCAA title run in her sophomore season.

Tiare Jennings, 20 – Softball

While the spotlight of the 2022 Women’s College World Series centered on departing senior Jocelyn Alo, Jennings also continued to make a name for herself at Oklahoma. A two-time WCWS champion, she’s twice been named to the All-Tournament team — all in her first two seasons with the Sooners.

She batted .385 and blasted 24 home runs in the 2022 season. Her total of 72 RBI was tied for third in the NCAA. She also excelled in the field, posting a .982 fielding percentage and recording just two errors all season long. During the WCWS, she set the record for RBIs with 15, adding to the Sooners’ record-breaking 64 runs.

Next wave

Coco Gauff, 18 – Tennis

When Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis in 2022, the question became: Who is the future of American tennis? As eyes turned to Williams’ final stretch of matches, the answer to that question went on an incredible run of her own.

Gauff rocketed up to a career-high world No. 1 in the doubles rankings in August and a career-high No. 4 in singles in October. The French Open, which came in the same month as her high school graduation, provided the stage for Gauff’s first-ever Grand Slam final. She also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open for the first time in 2022. In October, she became the youngest singles player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2005. While Gauff still has yet to win her first major, the 18-year-old is well on her way there.

Harper Murray, 18 – Volleyball

The Nebraska volleyball commit was named to our All-American team in December after capping her high school career with an eye-popping senior season. She ended with a .410 hitting percentage and 663 kills. That bumped her career total to 2,245, and she also finished with 1,423 career digs.

Her efforts earned her Michigan’s Miss Volleyball title, and she will enter her career at Nebraska as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country.

Isabeau Levito, 15 – Figure skating

Levito made her senior international debut in 2022, placing first at the Philadelphia Summer International in her first senior competition. She followed that up by winning gold in her first appearance on the Challenger circuit.

She made her Grand Prix debut at Skate America in October, where she finished second behind world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan. She became the youngest American to qualify for the Grand Prix Final since Caroline Zhang in 2007. With her sights set on the 2026 Olympics, Levito will be one to watch this year and for years to come.

U-20 honorable mentions

Chloe Kovelesky, 15 – Golf

Kovelesky became the youngest player to play in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2021. In 2022, she placed first in the Portland Classic Amateur Open and qualified for her first LPGA event.

Olivia Moultrie, 17 – Soccer

After making her professional debut in the NWSL in 2021, Moultrie scored her first goal for the Portland Thorns in 2022. She won a championship with the club just a few months later, and she soaked in (most of) the celebrations.

Jaedyn Shaw, 18 – Soccer

Shaw is another teenager who has made a splash in the NWSL. She joined the San Diego Wave in July, she wasted no time, scoring her first professional goal in her first start. She finished the season with three goals for the expansion club.

Alyssa Thompson, 18 – Soccer

In September, Thompson became the youngest player since Sophia Smith to earn a senior national team call-up. She made her debut with the USWNT in front of a packed crowd at Wembley Stadium in London and finished the year with two caps.

Gretchen Walsh, 19 – Swimming

Walsh had a breakout freshman season for Virginia, becoming the first freshman ever to crack 21 seconds in the 50 freestyle. One of just two swimmers to break 21 seconds in the meet, she was bested only by teammate Douglass, who took gold. She later won the 100 freestyle with the fourth-fastest collegiate swim of all time.

On June 23, the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Jennie Finch reflected on the doors the landmark legislation opened for her while also paying it forward in women’s sports. The softball legend and current MLB® youth ambassador recognized the first of four recipients of the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award presented by Arm & Hammer, which honors the top performers at MLB®-led softball programs around the country.

As Grace Shary, a high school junior in Long Beach, Calif., accepted the award at the Softball Elite Development Invitational in Vero Beach, Fla., she also relished the opportunity to meet Finch in person. The Olympic gold medalist and NCAA All-American is on hand each time to personally announce the winner.

Shary and the three other award recipients — Samantha Santana of DREAM RBI in New York City, Christy Concepcion of the Miami Marlins Youth Academy and Maritza Lopez-Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Phillies Youth Academy — are recognized for their demonstrations of leadership, motivation, commitment, dedication, humility and integrity in their schools, on their teams and throughout their communities. Each student-athlete receives a $10,000 college scholarship, courtesy of Arm & Hammer, and a trip to the MLB® World Series presented by Capital One.

To date, Arm & Hammer has donated $140,000 to the MLB® Youth Foundation and Jennie Finch Empowerment Award honorees.

“I don’t really have a college fund, so getting this scholarship is very, very important,” Concepcion said. “I don’t really have enough money to save up for college, and honestly it’ll make my experience so much easier.”

Santana, who received the award in the Los Angeles area in July, said she dreams of moving from New York City to play softball at UCLA because of the program’s history and her role model, four-time All-American pitcher Rachel Garcia.

Lopez-Gonzalez plans to use the scholarship money toward her goal of becoming a doctor. Before that, the third baseman realized another dream when she and the other award winners attended Game 2 of the MLB® World Series presented by Capital One between her hometown Phillies and the Houston Astros.

“I always say, I’m the one brought in to inspire and encourage,” Finch said, “but I always leave just being more inspired and more motivated to do more for the next generation because of what these young girls do and what they overcome day in and day out.”

Major League Baseball® trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball®. Visit MLB.com.

Athletes Unlimited has raised $30 million in new funding, the league announced Thursday.

Among the investors are U.S. Olympic ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero as well as Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V. All three have been on the league’s advisory board since its start.

Since its founding in 2020, Athletes Unlimited has expanded from its softball league to add volleyball, basketball and lacrosse.

“We have been advisors for AU since the very beginning, and we’re excited to be a part of this capital raise,” Durant said. “Athletes Unlimited is at the forefront of women’s sports and an inspiration for how sports leagues can thrive with an athlete-first business model.”

Schusterman Family Investments, Sharon Harel-Cohen and Jane Gottesman also are among the investors, and Gottesman will be joining the league’s Board of Directors.

Earlier this year, Athletes Unlimited announced a multi-year deal with ESPN. That deal has since paid dividends, with softball viewership increasing 74 percent from 2021 for the AUX competition in June.

“These investors share our vision and our ambition to not only reimagine professional sports, but also to rethink the way a business can – and should – show up in the world,” Athletes Unlimited co-founder Jonathan Soros said. “The growth of AU has far exceeded my expectations over its first two years. The addition of these strategic investors will only add to the energy and resources available to fuel further growth.”