The Best Women’s Sports Moments Of 2024

2024 was no ordinary year for women’s sports.

It was a year of transformation for the WNBA thanks to all-star rookies like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink and more, all of whom helped revamp the league into the hottest event in sports. It was also a year of triumph for women’s gymnastics, as Simone Biles returned to the international stage to lead Team USA to a golden victory in Paris. Track and field finally saw Sha’Carri Richardson sprint to the Olympics, while tennis witnessed Coco Gauff make history again as Emma Navarro emerged as a U.S. Open breakout star. Katie Ledecky, meanwhile, made huge waves in the pool, swimming all the way to becoming the most decorated female U.S. Olympian of all time. 

Countless other achievements made 2024 an unparalleled year for women athletes. However, the biggest shift of all was the widespread recognition and long-overdue attention that women’s sports finally received.

From the WNBA’s most-watched season yet and the NCAA women’s basketball championship tournament crushing the men’s TV ratings to the women’s gymnastics team final pulling in monster numbers at the Olympics, all eyes were on women’s sports this year, and for good reason. These milestones weren’t just about boasting impressive stats — they were a reflection of the growing momentum in which female athletes are being celebrated around the globe. The refreshing change, driven by new fan interest and increased media coverage, is rewriting the narrative of women’s sports as we speak, and for many, it’s been a long time coming.

“It’s a testament to all the aspects of women’s sports being appreciated,” ESPN basketball analyst Andraya Carter told HuffPost of the overall increased visibility this year. “It’s the investments of brands, the viewership of fans, places like ESPN putting it on TV, the availability, the programming and last but not least at all, it’s the performance of the athletes.”

“We are finally seeing all of these things pulling in the same direction,” she added, “and it’s created this explosion of appreciation and consumption, and those things are only gonna grow.”

As 2024 draws to a close, HuffPost looked back at iconic moments in women’s sports that helped define the year.

The WNBA Had Its Most Groundbreaking Season Yet

There’s no single answer to why the WNBA’s 2024 season was especially historic this year, and that’s a good thing. A combination of the much-anticipated 2024 draft class — which featured college superstars like Reese, Clark, Brink, Rickea Jackson and others — on-court mastery, new potential investors, tremendous ratings and impressive fan turnout all contributed to making the 28th season of the women’s league a staggering success. According to WNBA player Jackie Young, it’s a welcome change from the days of minimal game coverage and lower fan engagement.

“I remember my rookie year, playing in different arenas and there not being very many fans. But as I’ve gotten older and time has gone on in the league, the game has grown, and now we’re playing in front of sold-out crowds,” the Las Vegas Aces guard told HuffPost, adding that renewed interest in the WNBA has “been good for the league.”

“It’s cool being a part of this growth,” she added, “and just seeing how the game has expanded and how many eyes we have on us.”

Young was part of the winning U.S. women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics this summer, a landmark event where the WNBA extended its gold medal streak with its eighth straight win and 61st straight Olympics victory overall.

“That was an extremely special moment,” the Aces player noted. “For us to be able to represent our country and play on the Olympic team, that’s probably the highest honor.”

Add to that the historic championship win for the New York Liberty (its first ever), and it’s clear that 2024 marked the start of a defining era in women’s basketball. The league still has a ways to go (its pay disparities, for example), but what we’ve witnessed over the last year is nothing short of progress and evolution. From growing visibility and expansion teams to the newfound fashion runway of the pregame tunnel, the WNBA is thriving across the board, and there’s still more to come.

“This next generation, they’re going to grow up seeing women be themselves and women dress in completely different ways and have completely different playing styles,” Carter concluded. “It sounds cliché to say anything is possible, but I think future women’s basketball players can grow up believing they can be anyone they wanna be and be great on the court in whatever way that they can.”

Simone Biles’ Triumphant Return To The Olympics Solidified Her As The World’s Greatest Gymnast

After withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Simone Biles returned to the international games this summer with a vengeance for her highly anticipated “Redemption Tour.” And, as expected, the results were everything that fans hoped for. By winning four medals (three gold and one silver), Biles not only maintained her status as one of the world’s most talented athletes, but she also emerged as the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in all of history — a well-deserved victory for the athlete who worked hard to bounce back from her Tokyo twisties.

“Her growth is so marvelous to recognize,” said two-time Olympic medal-winning gymnast Laurie Hernandez, who competed alongside Biles at the 2016 Rio Olympics. As one of NBC’s gymnastics analysts this summer, Hernandez had a front-row seat to her former teammate’s gravity-defying performances as part of her triumphant return to the top. According to Hernandez, Biles’ medal wins were a testament to both the mental and physical battles she had to overcome in recent years.

“Competing in earlier Olympic Games, for her, she talked about how it felt like she was doing things for other people because [she had] been told, ‘You are the best,’” Hernandez added, “and the responsibility, weight and pressure of that show in the gymnastics. Versus two quads later, seeing her get out there and constantly verbalize in the media, ‘This is for me; this is not for anybody else but me’ … That’s growth if I’ve ever seen it.”

In addition to Biles’ history-making comeback, Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team — which included Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee and Hezly Rivera — also blew spectators away in Paris as they took home gold in the team final. The stunning win (which they took over Italy and Brazil) bolstered Team USA’s gold medal legacy and made for another unforgettable chapter in women’s sports.

Sha’Carri Richardson Finally Made Her Olympic Debut 

Sha’Carri Richardson’s long-awaited Olympic debut may have been delayed a few years because of a cannabis scandal that cost her a spot on Team USA in the 2021 Tokyo Games. Still, the controversy never deterred the sprinting sensation from becoming an official competitor. So, when the Paris Olympics rolled around this summer, Richardson set out to claim her rightful spot as one of the fastest women in the world to compete on the global stage — and she did.

Richardson’s first Olympics was marked by a strong performance in the women’s 100-meter race, which earned the track star a silver medal. However, her crowning moment came from a stunning 10.09-second anchor leg in the women’s 4×100 m relay, clinching her first Olympic gold win.

“It was a phenomenal moment,” Richardson recalled to Essence recently, “and I honestly was honored just to do that, with ladies who trusted me to be their anchor and to help us all bring that gold back to the States.”

Richardson’s impact on the track far exceeds her personal comeback success. Her Olympic performances could surely advance the women’s track and field space and inspire future runners to be just as resilient in their athletic pursuits. For now, though, the sprinter’s medal-winning achievements indicate that she has a bright future that many, including myself, are excited to witness.

Coco Gauff Made History At The WTA Finals As The Youngest  Champion In 20 Years

Coco Gauff had already established herself as a young tennis legend when she secured her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 U.S. Open, just a few years after beating tennis titan Venus Williams at Wimbledon. So, it was no surprise that the 20-year-old added another historic milestone to her remarkable career this year, becoming the youngest champion in two decades at the prestigious WTA Finals.

The monumental victory not only solidified Gauff’s place at the top of the tennis world but also marked a groundbreaking moment for all women in the sport. According to Sportico, the star player was awarded a record prize of over $4.8 million, the largest payout ever in a women’s tennis event. 

Strides like these are what set Gauff far apart from her peers. At such a young age, the tennis wunderkind has already shattered numerous records — from becoming one of the youngest American women to win a singles match at the Olympics to ranking as 2024’s highest-paid female athlete. Her rapid ascent has quickly made her a force to be reckoned with on the court. And with so much potential still ahead, it makes it all the more exciting to follow her journey toward all-time greatness.