The past year has been complicated for the sport, but some women have made history leaving great legacies. Between being pioneers in their modalities, turning around, breaking world records and fighting against everything and everyone for their rights, these women inspire a generation and deserve a great tribute.
Here we set aside 10 inspiring women that deserve to be recognized.
Sarah Fuller
Coming from soccer Sarah made history by being the first woman to play an official game of American football. The goalkeeper kicked the kickoff after the half time between Vanderbilt and Missouri by the elite of the United States college championship. Sarah was also the first woman to score in a match of American Football.
Sue Bird
Sue achieved the unprecedented feat of winning three WNBA titles in three different decades. In the women’s league she is the only one, but has joined two big names in the NBA: Tim Duncan and John Salley.
Sue is the biggest WNBA champion with four titles, winning in the years of:
- 2004
- 2010
- 2018
- 2020.
Bird is considered one of the greatest ever in the women’s basketball league.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi never missed a Grand Slam final. There are four titles for the Japanese who, in 2020, in addition to being a multi-champion, was also one of the athletes who fought for racial causes.
Osaka joined the Black Lives Matter movement and protested at the US Open wearing masks named after black men and women who were victims of police violence in the United States. The tennis player was elected as the most influential female athlete of 2020 by the American magazine Sports Illustrated. Osaka is now the highest-paid female athlete of all time.
Amandinha
Cristiano Ronaldo was elected the best in the world five times, Queen Marta and Messi were six. But the best in the world of futsal has another name: Amandinha. The Brazilian player was elected for the seventh time in a row as the best in the world.
For Leoas da Serra, her team, Amandinha has already won all possible titles in the modality: Brazilian League, Brazilian Cup, Libertadores da America, Champions Cup and the Intercontinental. She also went to the Brazilian national team, where she was world champion and Copa America champion.
Stephanie Travers
Mercedes engineer Stephanie Travers, from Zimbabwe, was the first black woman to make it to the Formula 1 podium. Travers represented the team at Hamilton’s first victory of the 2020 season at the Styrian Grand Prix.
The action was a response from the Lewis Hamilton team to Formula One’s “We race as one” movement, which promoted racial equality in sport. Hamilton even celebrated Stephanie’s achievement on his social networks.
Maya Gabeira
Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira does not need others’ records to beat, she beats her own. In the Nazare swell, Maya surfed a 22.4 meter wave: 1.68 meter more than her previous mark.
The Brazilian has the title of the biggest wave surfed by a woman in history. Maya broke her record on the same beach where, years ago, she had an accident that almost caused her death. Resilience!
Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and the American gymnasts
Not all 2020 victories are made up of medals. Small achievements for rights and justice also have to be valued.
Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and hundreds of other gymnasts from the United States joined in a lawsuit against the United States Gymnastics Federation and the country’s Olympic and Paralympic Committee for the lack of answers in the case of Larry Nassar, the former doctor accused of sexual abuse.
What Biles, Raisman and the other gymnasts and Olympic champions claim is that the competent bodies have not guaranteed their rights and security. Nassar is under arrest, but the athletes want to find those responsible for allowing years of crimes by the former doctor.
Sarah Thomas
Sarah Thomas had already made history by being the first woman to be a referee in the NFL and, later, by being the first to referee a playoff game. However, the big achievement came at SuperBowl LV, when Sarah was part of the refereeing team for the most important game of the season.
Sarah paved the way for other women to enter the profession. The NFL has even announced that next season another woman will make history: Maia Chaka will be the first black woman to be an NFL referee.
Serena Williams
For many athletes, pregnancy can seal the end of a sporting career. The end of contracts, sponsorships, and time away from the sport makes it a real challenge. But not for Serena Williams.
The tennis player had a great year of 2020 reaching the semifinals of the US Open and establishing herself as the seventh best in the world. Alexis Olympia’s mom upset everyone who said she would never shine again.
Amanda Nunes
In 2020 Amanda became the first athlete, between men and women, to defend two belts simultaneously in UFC history. The lioness is the current bantamweight and featherweight champion.
In addition to the great achievement, Amanda has followed her unbeaten trajectory since 2014. She also won another grand prize: she became the mother of little Reagan, who already accompanies her in the big fights.
Betting on Women’s SportsThe world of sports has long been owned by women, and sports betting knows that. In today’s biggest bookmakers, you can find a variety of women’s sports to place your wagers. From football leagues to individual competitions, such as tennis. You can bet on all these women’s sports.
And if you still have doubts on how to start placing your sports betting, you can look for some bet tips online. With them, you will be able to learn how to choose which games and which lines to bet on.