It’s undeniable that 2024 was the year of women’s sports. Between the Summer Olympics bringing us familiar icons like Simone Biles and Sha’Carri Richardson and basketball powerhouses of the 2024 draft class like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helping to bring the WNBA to new heights, it seemed like you couldn’t turn your head without seeing a women’s sports star. From A’ja Wilson to Katie Ledecky, from the Olympics to the WNBA, it’s undeniable that women’s sports had a monumental year.
2024’s rugby star
One of the stars of last year was rugby player Ilona Maher. First going viral on social media in 2020 for both her inside look at the ins and outs of the Olympics and her charismatic personality, Maher’s participation in the American women’s rugby team in 2024 only skyrocketed her popularity. Her message of body positivity and confidence as well as her athletic feats had mass appeal, and now she has 8 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, making her the most followed rugby player in the world. Maher’s platform has allowed her influence to spread beyond the sports world. With a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover and a spot on season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars”, as well as signing with the UK rugby team the Bristol Bears (which brought in massive ticket sales), her bronze medal in the Olympics, though arguably the most impressive, was far from her only monumental achievement of the year.
elite opportunities
Now, in 2025, it appears that it’s not only Maher that’s headed straight for the top, it’s her sport as a whole. While the amateur Women’s Premier League Rugby has existed for years, a brand new semi-professional league called Women’s Elite Rugby has been announced, armed with flashy new logos and teams all over the nation. The Bay Breakers (of San Francisco), the Boston Banshees, the Chicago Tempest, the Denver Onyx, the New York Exiles and the Twin Cities Gemini are set to hit TV screens in March 2025.
This announcement comes almost straight on the heels of the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a 3×3 women’s basketball league comprised of some of the biggest stars in the WNBA that just began in January 2025. Two new leagues coming into the public eye in less than six months represents the growing interest in women’s sports across the board, and there’s no doubt that the novelty provides a lot of opportunity for content and exposure.
With both of these expansions happening in 2025, I’m sure this is only the start of the exciting new opportunities that will be available to female athletes this year, and I can’t wait to see what the year brings for both household names and emerging champions.