It’s the first day of a new month, and I don’t know about you, but I'm ready to usher in some summer joy. The WNBA and NWSL have had an exciting start to their seasons. The AUSL will start gameplay soon. The PWHL just wrapped in extraordinary fashion, with multiple attendance records broken (Congratulations, Montreal!). Even tennis has me wanting to learn French. I hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did. Let me know when you read the last word! 🥂
Hailey Baptiste.
Mallory Swanson.
Mo’ne Davis
From Sports Illustrated. NWSL may be on a break for June, but many of our faves have been called up to the USWNT. Triple Espresso is back, alongside Croix Bethune, Jaedyn Shaw, and more.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lydia Victor, a Philadelphia-based artist, created a zine chronicling and documenting the first women’s professional basketball team in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Fox played only 10 games in its inaugural 1979 season before folding due to financial mismanagement. Lydia Victor interviewed several former Fox players and the head coach, and studied Inquirer and Daily News articles covering the ill-fated team for her single-issue zine, Girls Will Shoot Hoops: A Story About the Philadelphia Fox. This is a lovely physical media project that explores the city’s love for women’s basketball ahead of Philadelphia’s entry into the WNBA in 2030.
From Ayesha McGowan. I post a lot about cycling on Threads, so half of my timeline on Threads and many of the posts on Instagram’s explore tab have been images and posts from The Traka, Giro d’Italia Women, and Unbound. I have yet to see any posts from a Black cyclist participating (more on this in Friday’s article). I have, however, been enjoying these updates from former pro cyclist Ayesha McGowan in her short-form video series titled Women’s Bike Racing Fan Club. Ayesha McGowan is a former pro cyclist (the first African American woman to hold that title, in fact) and the founder of the Black Foxes and The Abundance Project. She breaks down women’s cycling events so that everyday athletes like us can have context for what’s happening in the sport.
From USA Today. Hailey Baptiste tore her ACL at the French Open, and I’m wishing her a speedy recovery. She was seemingly on her way to having a wonderful year ahead of her, as she came into Roland Garros ranked #25 in the world and with a newly inked head-to-toe sponsorship deal with Nike (upgraded from an in-kind deal). I have no doubt she’ll return to dominance on the courts soon.
From Yahoo Sports. While the WPBL draft has commenced and teams have formed, August 1st feels like a lifetime away. Apparently Mo’ne Davis felt the same way, as she signed a contract with Banana Balls’s sister team, the Indianapolis Clowns. Quirky name aside, this team honors the original Negro Leagues team, which included Toni Stone, the first female pro to play in a men's league.
From USA Today. Dystany Spurlock made history this year as the first Black woman to race in NASCAR. NASCAR's first Black driver was Wendell Scott, who made his debut in the premier Grand National Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series) on March 4, 1961. It’s taken over 60 years for a Black woman to make an appearance in the sport. I’m wishing her all the success this racing season.
The Last Word 🥂
Women’s sports are year-round, and there’s no shortage of incredible athletes doing amazing things. I’m excited to see the USWNT on the international stage this month, and see how WNBA teams adjust their rosters and strategies after the first month of games. More importantly, I hope we all can experience the joy of moving our bodies and celebrating women athletes today. On Wednesday, I’m bringing you stories from the podcast of women everyday athletes. I’ll see you then!
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