Women’s sports took center stage on the Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2022, with Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan headlining the athletes included in the annual honor.
Tennis icon Billie Jean King wrote the blurb for the U.S. women’s national team veterans, with the soccer stars’ role in the USWNT’s new equal pay deal landing the trio in the “Titans” section of the list.
.@BillieJeanKing on @mPinoe, @beckysauerbrunn, @alexmorgan13:
— TIME (@TIME) May 23, 2022
"These women have shown up and spoken up. When they were not recognized for their accomplishments, and not paid equally, they vowed to drag soccer to the right side of history" #TIME100 https://t.co/TnZZsJizAs
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai was included in the “Icons” section for going public with her account of abuse. She accused China’s former vice premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex.
Peng disappeared from public view after the social media post in which she detailed the allegations before re-emerging and denying her initial account.
“Her subsequent denial of her original claims suggests that she has not yet regained full autonomy—and may in fact be experiencing unspeakable cruelty,” feminist activist and writer Lu Pin wrote for Time.
WNBA champion Candace Parker and Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu were both featured in the “Pioneers” section of the list.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anybody more disciplined, driven, or determined than Eileen Gu. And hard work pays off,” wrote Gus Kenworthy of the 18-year-old freestyle skier.
Parker won her second WNBA title in 2021 with the Chicago Sky.
“Candace Parker is a force to be reckoned with,” Dwyane Wade wrote for Time. “She’s a champion (and six-time WNBA All-Star) who has built a legacy by revolutionizing her game. As a fellow athlete and a fellow parent, I admire what she’s accomplished and how she has taken her daughter all over the world while playing to provide for her family.”
The print issue of Time’s “100 Most Influential People of 2022” hits newsstands Friday.