Women’s sports have been highly underrated for many years. People tend to be hyper-fixated on men’s teams like the NFL and NBA, and they tend to be broadcast more than women’s sports. Over the past 20 years, women’s sports have become more popular and better represented, although still seen as less than men’s sports. Over the last few years, women’s sports have been gaining popularity because of the people associated with them. Athletes like Paige Bueckers, Simone Biles, and Sky Brown are just some women breaking down barriers in women’s sports.
From Hopkins High School to UConn to Dallas, Paige Bueckers is breaking records and loving every minute of it. In college, Paige Bueckers would make a name for herself. Bueckers holds the record for the most assists in her freshman year with 168. She is also the fastest player in program history to hit 2,000 career points. She was a three-time unanimous first-team All-American and won the Wooden Award. Bueckers led UConn to multiple championship appearances, including the National Championship, in the last 2 years, with UConn bringing home their 12th title this year. Bueckers averaged 19.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in her 5-year career. She was also inducted into the UConn Huskies of Honor during a game at UConn. In the 2024-2025 season, Bueckers also received the 2025 Nancy Lieberman Award, which is an award given to the nation’s top point guards. With all of that, she also had many setbacks. In her sophomore year at UConn, she tore her ACL, which would put her out for the season, and again during a workout in May 2023. She was also taken out during her junior season because of a stress reaction in her right shin. Buckers said, “I did all I could, so God could do all I can’t” when asked about her basketball career, and she addressed how much her faith has helped her in her journey.
Bueckers declared after her national championship win that she would enter the 2025 WNBA draft, and on April 14th, 2025, Bueckers was the first pick of the night and was drafted by the Dallas Wings. She hasn’t confirmed yet if
the iconic #5 jersey will be the choice for her WNBA journey. This will hopefully be the start of a long, record-breaking career for Bueckers.
Simone Biles is one of the most well-known female athletes in the world. Her dedication and amazing flexibility have stunned the world. The 11-time Olympic medalist would win her first 2 gold medals at just 16 years old when she
competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She now has 7 Olympic gold medals. “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.” Biles said, asserting her individuality and rejecting comparison to male athletes. Biles has 5 different skills named after her. Biles has been an inspiration to gymnasts and so many others everywhere. Her unique story and impressive skills have made her one of the most popular female athletes in the world.
| Biles I (Vault) | A roundoff on the springboard, back handspring with a half-turn onto the vault, followed by a double twist in a stretched position. |
| Biles II (Vault) | A Yurchenko double pike, a backflip off the vault with two full rotations in a pike position. |
| Biles (Balance Beam): | A double-twisting, double-tucked salto backwards dismount. |
| Biles I (Floor) | A double layout with a half-twist in the second flip. |
| Biles II (Floor) | A triple-double, a two-flip, three-twist combination. |
Sky Brown is a British-Japanese skateboarder and surfer. At just 13 years old, she would go on to win bronze in the women’s park skateboarding event at the Tokyo Olympics and again at the Paris Olympics at 16 years old, making her one of the youngest to win 2 medals at the Olympic Games. “I’m still learning so much every day, and I’ve still got a
lot to learn”, said Brown when asked about the Olympics. Dur
ing the Paris Olympics, she was also first alternate for surfing. Sky Brown is also a talented artist. She has released her song “Girl” and won Dancing with the Stars Junior in 2018. Sky Brown has had her fair share of injuries. A scary fall in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics left her with multiple skull fractures and a broken wrist and hand. She has more to accomplish, and I’m sure she’ll be seen again at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
This all shows the level of commitment and talent that these women have for these sports, and they are still working to break down barriers. These women and many more have been role models and advocates for women’s sports and continue to show the world why women’s sports are not only important but worth paying attention to.
