Hi all,

I’m Sonja, inventory planner and resident women’s sports expert here at Title Nine. I’m back to share the stories you need to know about, and to keep giving women athletes the attention they deserve.

1. 18,125 miles and 630,000 feet of climbing later and Lael Wilcox (ultra endurance bicycle rider) has become the fastest woman to cycle the world in three and a half months. It took Wilcox 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes starting and ending in Chicago. Go Lael Go! 

2. Athlos  Oiselle!  Athlos is the first ever women’s only track invitational – bringing together the fastest women in the world to compete for the largest prize purse ever for a women’s or men’s track event!  The event will be held in New York City on Sept 26th, with six different events amongst 36 athletes.  Athlos announced that they are partnering with Oiselle as their inaugural apparel partner.  Oiselle’s partnership includes a 10% return which goes directly to the athletes participating in the events. 

3. Surf’s up!   Caity Simmers (18 years old) has made history by becoming the youngest surfer (overtook 5x world champion Carissa Moore) to win the WSL World Championship and claim her first world title.  Simmers faced off against the defending champion, Caroline Marks, in front of a hometown crowd that lined Trestles beach. 

4. A’ja Wilson, A’ja Wilson, A’ja Wilson!   A’ja (Las Vegas Aces) has broken the single season scoring record for the most points and the first WNBA player to record 1,000 points in a single season in WNBA history!  Wilson (2x MVP and an overall favorite to win her third) passed Jewell Loyd’s (Seattle Storm) record last season for the most points scored. The Las Vegas Aces franchise continues to break records as they are the first WNBA team to sell out all of their 2025 season ticket memberships in back to back seasons. 

5. The Paris Paralympics have come to a close but I can’t stop re-watching all the record breaking moments!  All 22 sports were broadcasted live for the first time. Out of the 4,400 athletes, female athletes made up 45% (1,983 athletes in 235 events) of the field. This beat the previous record of 42% set at the Tokyo games in 2020. Some of my favorites that I followed were:

  • Jessica Long (para swimming) has more medals than Michael Phelps!  Long’s gold medal win in the 400 meter freestyle in the S8 class made it her 17th gold medal and 30th overall. This is her fourth gold medal in this event which goes back to when she was 12 years old at the Athens games in 2004. 
  • Tatyana McFadden (para track and field) won a silver in the 100m T54 and bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay. With these wins, McFadden now has 21 total para track and field medals which is the most of any Team USA para track athlete in history. 
  • Oksana Masters (para cycling) is one of the greatest multisport Paralympians in history!  Oksana won gold in the H4-5 para cycling time trials and the H5 road race. These wins brought her to nine gold medals and 19 medals overall. Masters has qualified for every summer and winter Paralympic games since 2012 in rowing, Nordic skiing, biathlon and cycling. 
  • Sarah Adam (wheelchair rugby) became the first woman in history to play for Team USA’s wheelchair rugby team. The team won silver after losing to Japan 41-48.  “It’s really neat to break down barriers. If it’s a sport you love to play, no matter how physical or male-dominated, there’s a way and a place for you, and women are showing that’s the case in a bunch of different sports.” – Sarah Adam 
  • Team USA’s sitting volleyball team won their third consecutive Paralympic gold after defeating China. The team has medaled in every Paralympic Games since the sport was introduced in 2004. 

6.  Game, Set, Match!   Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) is the 2024 U.S. Open Champion!  In the final match, Sabalenka went up against Jessica Pegula, winning in straight sets 7-5, 7-5. This is the third grand slam win for Sabalenka and her first U.S. Open title. One of my favorite fan moments was after her Round 2 win which included matching tennis kits and tiger tattoos.  Attending the U.S. Open has always been on my sports bucket list and I had the privilege of attending the tournament for the first time this year and it was absolutely electric! 

7. Golden State Valkyries have announced that they have over 17,000 season ticket holder deposits for their inaugural season. In addition, the Valkyries revealed that the team’s practice facility will be in Oakland. The facility will be over 30,000 square feet with two full size basketball courts (17 total basketball hoops), weight room and training room. The V shaped locker room at the Chase Center in San Francisco will have a training room, players lounge, dining and coaches offices. 

8. Get ready Portland!   The WNBA announced that their 15th expansion team will be coming to the city of roses in 2026!  “As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward…Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans.” – WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert.

9. Legends were honored in Seattle and Minneapolis! 

  • The Seattle Reign (NWSL) retired Megan Rapinoe’s No.15 jersey in front of 16,598 fans at Lumen Field. Rapinoe is a 2x World Cup champion and Olympic medalist. Beyond the field, Rapinoe is widely celebrated for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, calling out racial injustices and gender equality. In 2022, she became the first soccer player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 
  • If you’re attending a Seattle Storm game (WNBA) then you might notice a street name change leading to Climate Pledge Arena.  A section of the street has been renamed “Sue Bird Ct” in honor of the Bird who spent her 19 season WNBA career with the Storm.  Bird was the No. 1 draft pick in the 2002 WNBA draft out of UConn and is a 4x WNBA champion. 
  • The Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) retired Maya Moore’s No. 23 jersey. Moore is a 4x WNBA champion, WNBA Finals MVP in 2013 and 6x WNBA All-Star. 

10. The new collective bargaining agreement between the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association is an absolute game changer!  The NWSL has become the first American major pro league to eliminate the draft.  In addition, this deal will include free agency for all players, no trades without player consent, guaranteed contracts, revenue sharing, increases to minimum salary and expansions to parental leave and childcare. “We’re making changes that puts power back into the players…We’re only in our 12th year of the NWSL, so it’s pretty incredible what we’ve been able to achieve, and I hope this kickstarts putting a little more freedom and choice back into the players’ hands.” – Alex Morgan 

Got another favorite moment to share? Drop it in the comments. Thanks for tuning in! 

Sonja

female athletes are incredible role models quote