With women’s sports gaining more popularity in recent years, it has become a platform where we have the pleasure of witnessing female athletes excel and make history. And since March is International Women’s Month, what better way to celebrate than to highlight some of these individuals for their achievements and lasting impact on the game?
1. Naomi Osaka
A four-time Grand Slam champion, the first Asian player to ascend to the Women’s Tennis Association, and the first Japanese citizen to win a Grand Slam singles title — Naomi Osaka has done it all. A fierce competitor on the court, she also is an avid advocate for social justice and uses her platform to spread worldwide awareness to these issues. In 2020, Osaka flew to St. Paul, Minnesota to take the streets with protesters after the murder of George Floyd and take a stand against police brutality. Later that year, she competed in the 2020 U.S. Open and wore seven face masks with the names of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Elijah McClain, Tamir Rice, and Breonna Taylor written on them.
2. Han Xu
Chosen in the second round of the 2019 WNBA draft by the New York Liberty, Han Xu quickly became a favorite amongst Liberty fans. A Shijiazhuang native in China’s Hebei province, Xu became the first Chinese-born player to hear her name called at the WNBA draft since Zheng Haixia in the 1997 inaugural edition. Last season, the 6-foot-10 center averaged 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds.
3. Michelle Kwan
At the age of five, Michelle Kwan began her ice skating career and would win her first competition two years later. Fast forward to 1994, she would find herself landing a spot as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic team. Upon retiring in 2006, Kwan received her master’s degree in international…
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