In 2025, Game Changers took an in-depth look at the people, organizations, and research empowering both women’s sports and women working in sport. Throughout the year, there have been pioneering women taking on coaching roles where no woman has coached before; there have been teams and leagues lifting up female athletes where it was previously challenging to find playing opportunities; and there have been research and funding opportunities to ensure that 2026 is just as impactful.
Game Changers highlighted 10 women who were hired or promoted into positions that no woman has ever held before. This list included several firsts for female coaches on professional and college teams, like Allison Krajewski, the first-ever woman on the coaching staff of the Rockies’ High-A affiliate team, Sonia Raman, the first Indian head coach in the WNBA, or Ashley Cornwell, the first female assistant football coach at Central State University.
This year also brought the first woman ever promoted to umpire a regular-season MLB game, Jen Pawol.
Several organizations hosted clinics for young female athletes to learn both the fundamentals of sport and leadership skills, ensuring that the next generation of female athletes finds sport accessible and fun. The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative hosted the sixth annual “Philly Girls Got Game” basketball clinic with local colleges and the Chicago Bulls hosted the “Girls’ Day of Play” event.
Even organizations at the college and professional level, such as the WTA’s new Maternity Fund Program or the University of Cincinnati’s ‘In Her Likeness’ NIL program, brought a new level of dedication to supporting women’s sports.
Several big-name companies and non-profits also entered the women’s sports arena. Apple pledged to provide tablets and other technology to the WSL, Malala Yousafzai’s non-profit Recess was founded to bring equity to girls’ sports worldwide, and Michele Kang, billionaire owner of several professional women’s soccer organizations, donated $25 million to U.S. Soccer to elevate women in the sport.
Check out readers’ most-loved Game Changing stories from 2025, and look for the Game Changers logo for more stories of empowering women’s sports in 2026.
Game Changers: FIFA to Fund Women’s ACL Injury Research
Game Changers: Match Canceled After Female Athletes Protest Skorts Uniform
Game Changers: Autumn Lockwood Becomes First Black Female Coach to Win Super Bowl
Game Changers: University of Cincinnati Female Athletes Sign 500 NIL Deals at ‘In Her Likeness’
Game Changers: Sports Most Powerful Women Attend Sports Leadership VIP Summit
