Women's professional sports

Professional organizations for women in sport are most common in developed countries where there are investors available to buy teams and businesses which can afford to sponsor them in exchange for publicity and the opportunity to promote a variety of their products.

From the 1800s, in Western Europe and some other countries, women's physiology was described as delicate or weaker compared to men, and whose purpose, drive, and energy should solely be directed towards bearing and raising children.

"Violent movements of the body can cause a shift in the position and a loosening of the uterus as well as prolapse and bleeding, with resulting sterility, thus defeating a woman's true purpose in life, i.e., the bringing forth of strong children.

With a 98% rise in sponsorships and plans for future expansions, the NWSL is solidifying its position as a major player in the sports industry, reflecting both robust investor confidence and a burgeoning global market for women's soccer.

[citation needed] Forty years later, in 1994, a businessman in Atlanta struck a $3 million sponsorship deal with Coors and formed a women's professional baseball team called the Colorado Silver Bullets.

[30] After the 2022–23 PHF season, the league was purchased by a group led by billionaire investor Mark Walter and tennis great Billie Jean King, shut down, and effectively replaced by the PWHL.

Jennie Finch, known for her powerful pitching and charismatic presence, led Team USA to a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and has become a major advocate for the game.

Notably successful American female tennis players include Elizabeth Ryan, Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, Helen Wills Moody, Louise Brough Clapp, Margaret Osborne DuPont, Doris Hart, Maureen Connolly, Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Gigi Fernández, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams.

Notably successful active American female tennis players include Venus Williams, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff.

Notable achievements include the dominance of American teams such as Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, who won three consecutive Olympic gold medals from 2004 to 2012.

Eight women qualified to the Indianapolis 500 formula race: Janet Guthrie (9th in 1978), Lyn St. James (11th in 1992), Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick (3rd in 2009 and 4th in 2005), Simona de Silvestro, Pippa Mann, Milka Duno and Ana Beatriz Figueiredo.

With all teams operated by existing AFL men's clubs, it has provided a high-profile platform for female Australian Rules Football players and has seen rapid expansion and increasing popularity.

Impact: The league has been instrumental in promoting Australian Rules Football among women and has significantly raised the sport's profile through media coverage and fan engagement.

Australian women's tennis boasts a rich legacy of success and prominence, highlighted by legendary players such as Margaret Court, who holds a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley, a two-time Wimbledon champion.

Notably successful female English tennis players include: Dorothea Lambert Chambers, Blanche Bingley Hillyard, Lottie Dod, Charlotte Cooper Sterry, Phoebe Holcroft Watson, Ann Haydon-Jones, and Virginia Wade.

It is owned and managed by Project 8 Sports, Inc., an organization co-founded by Diana Matheson, a former player for the Canada women's national soccer team, who also serves as the league's chief executive officer.

Notably successful female French tennis players include: Suzanne Lenglen, Simonne Mathieu, Françoise Dürr, Gail Chanfreau, Mary Pierce, Amélie Mauresmo, Marion Bartoli, and Alizé Cornet.

Notably successful Belarusian female tennis players include: Natasha Zvereva (represented the Soviet Union, and later Belarus), Victoria Azarenka, and Aryna Sabalenka.

Notably successful Polish female tennis players include the retired Jadwiga Jędrzejowska and Agnieszka Radwańska as well as the currently active Iga Świątek.

Notably successful Russian female tennis players include: Anna Kournikova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Elena Vesnina, Ekaterina Makarova, Yaroslava Shvedova (represented Kazakhstan, not Russia), and Maria Sharapova.

Ecuador, Chile, Mexico and Colombia are relatively new to implementing professional women's football leagues, and it is still growing in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, who have had small semiprofessional championships.

[59] This championship was part of a golden era for women's basketball in Brazil in the 1990s and early 2000s, led by Hortencia Marcari and Maria Paula Gonçalves da Silva.

At the 2018 Women's World Championship in Japan, several Latin American teams competed, including Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.

[70] Five women competed in Formula One: Maria Teresa de Filippis (1958–1959), Lella Lombardi (1974–1976), Divina Galica (1976 and 1978), Desiré Wilson (1980) and Giovanna Amati (1992), totaling 29 entries and 15 starts.

The issues relating to gender inequality came to light when Stanford performance coach, Ali Kershner, posted side-by-side photos of the difference in weight rooms constructed for the female and male athletes, which later went viral on Twitter.

In addition to the Twitch and NBCSN feeds for the NWHL, February 2021 saw Sportsnet, NBC, and CBC showing at least one of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association's four games that season.

[90] Although exciting for the women's hockey game, it is hard to forget that only two years ago, the NWHL and PWHPA struggled to secure consistent airtime, and if they did, it was of poor quality and was not advertised appropriately.

After a lengthy exchange with Ramos, which brought Tournament Referee Brian Earley out to the court, a finger-pointing and visibly upset Williams was given a third code violation for verbal abuse, this one costing her a game.

From 2013 to 2016, the National Women's Soccer league was streamed via YouTube or on the individual team's websites for free, with the exception of the Boston Breakers, who charged a small fee.

From live-tweeting games, creating snarky memes, and cheerleading from the webosphere, spectators are no longer simply watching sports, and fans can often get news, insights and commentary straight from the source.

Hélène de Pourtalès American-born Swiss sailor who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris representing Switzerland and became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal. [ 1 ]
Charlotte Cooper Sterry vs Blanche Bingley Hillyard at Eastbourne. Charlotte Cooper was a pioneering British tennis player who made history as the first female Olympic champion in tennis.
Joan Weston , known as the "Blonde Bomber", was a roller derby star who became one of the highest-paid female athletes in the 1970s.
Billie Jean King tennis player who championed gender equality in sports
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a multi-sport athlete who excelled in golf , track and field , and basketball , and is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time.
A ticker tape parade in Manhattan celebrating the USWNT 's 2015 World Cup victory
Marta Vieira da Silva in a 2009 Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) All-Stars match against Umeå IK .
Soccer game between Japan and United States. Goalkeeper Hope Solo lies on the ground saving a ball, while Wambach is next to her.
Gold medal match in 2012 London Olympics. Left to right: Asuna Tanaka -14, Abby Wambach -14, Hope Solo -1, Becky Sauerbrunn -4
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League members performing calisthenics in Opa-locka, Florida , on April 22, 1948. The different baseball clubs are (L-R): Fort Wayne Daisies (partially visible), Chicago Colleens , Rockford Peaches , South Bend Blue Sox , Springfield Sallies and Peoria Redwings .
Lisa Leslie playing against Spain during the 2008 Summer Olympics .
Meg Mallon is a highly respected American golfer who won six major championships and 18 LPGA Tour events during her distinguished career.
Hilary Knight been a key player for Team USA, winning multiple Olympic medals as well as multiple World Championship titles.
Lisa Fernandez a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a dominant pitcher.
Serena Williams at the French Open, 2018. Known for her powerful game and lasting impact on the sport.
Danica Patrick at the 2010 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
The Melbourne women's Australian Rules Football team is strategizing their game plan.
A photograph of the Australian National women's basketball team which won the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in basketball
The National team celebrating after being awarded the gold medals for winning the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in basketball.
Australia during the Women's World Cup 2019.
Australian batter Meg Lanning plays a sweep shot while Merissa Aguilleira of the West Indies keeps wicket during the 2014 West Indies tour of Australia at the North Sydney Oval .
England women's national football team during 2019 Women's World Cup .
Great Britain's field hockey players with their goal-keeper during their 2016 Champions Trophy match versus Argentina .
Bianca Andreescu the first Canadian to win a major singles title.
Hayley Wickenheiser ice hockey player who won four Olympic gold medals and one silver with the national team and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
Michele Mouton motorsports, particularly in rallying .
Sweden's women's soccer team has consistently performed at a high level internationally, with notable achievements including reaching the final of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup and earning multiple Olympic medals.
Caroline Wozniacki 's consistency, determination, and achievements on the tennis court have made her a prominent figure in Danish sports history.
Olga Korbut gymnast who won multiple Olympic gold medals and captured the world's attention with her daring and innovative gymnastics techniques in the 1970s.
Nadia Comăneci in 1976. At the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games.
Christiane Endler with Chile in 2018 during a match against South Africa
Hortencia Marcari Brazilian basketball pivotal figure in elevating the profile of women's basketball in Latin America.
Gabriela Sabatini , tennis player
Brazil women's national volleyball team , 2007.
Simona de Silvestro at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2010
Pat Summitt is widely recognized as one of the most influential coaches in the history of sports.
Jill Ellis coached the United States women's national soccer team to two FIFA Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
Greek athlete Paraskevi Papachristou jumps at 2019 Meeting de Paris , while a photographer clicks.
Ana Guevara sprinting events, particularly the 400 meters. She competed at the highest levels of international track and field competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Laia Palau known for her playmaking ability. She has competed in multiple Olympics and EuroBasket tournaments.
Hayley Wickenheiser ice hockey player and four-time Olympic gold medalist, widely revered for her skill.
Florence Schelling is considered one of the best goalies in women's hockey history. She has represented Switzerland in multiple Olympics and World Championships
Margaret Court former professional tennis player who holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles won, with 24 titles to her name.
Steffi Grafs powerful and versatile game dominated the sport during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Germany vs Spain women world cup 2019
The Japan team thanking fans for their support for the humanitarian response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami after their World Cup win [ 102 ] [ 103 ]
U.S. athlete and fitness model Allison Stokke is an example of female sportspersons with huge following on social media.
Caster Semenya faced significant challenges regarding eligibility to compete in women's athletics.
Danish player Frederikke Lærke dives while Russian player Sofiya Lyshina looks on during a women's beach handball match, European Championships 2019
Yuna Kim South Korean figure skater performing at the 2010 World Championships
Saina Nehwal is an Indian badminton player who has achieved numerous successes
Annika Sörenstam is a golfer with LPGA Tour victories and major championships.
Li Na first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Lorena Ochoa one of Mexico's greatest golfers, known for her successful career on the LPGA Tour.
Yusra Mardini is a Syrian-born swimmer who competed as part of the Refugee Olympic Team
The UEFA Women's Championship , also known as the UEFA Women's Euro, is the primary international football competition for women's national teams in Europe.
New Zealand celebrating their Women's Rugby World Cup title in 2017
Initial jump at the match for the 3rd place in the FIBA Under-18 Women's Americas Championship Buenos Aires 2022 between Argentina and Brazil .