Women’s sport thrives in 2025 with unprecedented growth, famous victories
A’Ja Wilson delivered a jaw-dropping WNBA season to redefine what dominance looks like, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone raced to a jaw-dropping world title at a new distance in the 400 meters.
While the year was filled with enduring images of women in sports reshaping their visibility, it was also marked by new franchises, larger television audiences and greater advertising impact, sending women’s sports into 2026 on a wave of momentum.
England hosted and won a Rugby World Cup that broke records and redefined the potential of the sport.
More than 440,000 tickets sold were three times the figure in 2021, with the peak coming at Twickenham where 81,885 fans – the largest crowd to watch a women’s rugby match – witnessed England’s Red Roses’ 33-13 victory over Canada.
World Rugby Women’s Head of Rugby Sally Horrox described the show as “the stuff girls’ dreams are made of”.
More than half of the tournament audience was female, with a whopping 50% attending the first women’s rugby match. The event reached a peak TV audience of 5.8 million in the UK. While the US failed to break into the snooker scene, the spotlight saw American Ilona Maher further cement her status as the world’s most followed rugby player, male or female, with over nine million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
WNBA RISES AGAIN
The WNBA is on the rise once again, with its expansion to 13 teams and the exciting play of MVP Wilson leading the Las Vegas Aces to their third championship in four seasons.
The season was marked by record-breaking viewership and engagement, merchandise sales increases, and major new media rights deals.
The league, which hosts the Golden State Valkyries this year, will expand to 15 teams with new teams in Toronto and Portland in 2026. Three other franchises in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will bring the total to 18 by 2030.
Wilson was the first four-time WNBA MVP and won her third defensive player of the year award. He also won the Finals MVP award and recently graced the cover of Time Magazine, prompting Nike to run an ad that read, “Only one magazine could cover it.”
INDIA’S FIRST WORLD CUP VICTORY
India’s first victory in the Women’s Cricket World Cup turned the streets of Mumbai into a carnival as fireworks lit up the night sky, drivers honked their horns and the crowd danced.
Similar celebrations broke out across the country as people gathered around televisions in tea stalls and homes in what appeared to be a cultural turning point and saw the brand value of India’s top women cricketers skyrocket.
In athletics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone starred in stunning fashion at the World Championships, transitioning seamlessly from the 400m hurdles to win the 400 straight in the fastest time in 40 years.
She clocked a stunning 47.78 seconds, the second fastest in history behind Marita Koch during East Germany’s state-sponsored doping era.
EURO REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
In football, the European Championship in Switzerland has reached new heights, eclipsing ticket sales for the 2022 tournament with two matches left to be played.
Switzerland’s dream of reaching its first quarter-final has sparked new interest in women’s football in the Alpine country known for producing the best skiers and tennis players.
After the home team lost to Spain, coach Pia Sundhage said, “We lost the match, but I think we gained a lot.” “When people shouted my name after the match, I felt like they were shouting for women’s football.”
European champions Arsenal have broken the women’s transfer record by signing Canadian striker Olivia Smith from Liverpool for one million pounds ($1.34 million), making her the first female player to break the seven-figure barrier.
THE REACH OF WOMEN’S SPORTS IS BEING EXPANDED
The year also saw the expansion of women’s sports with the launch of many new leagues.
The unrivaled 3×3 women’s basketball league was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart as a local option for players to stay and play in the United States during the WNBA offseason. Rose BC, led by Chelsea Gray, won the inaugural title.
Despite being a new league, Unrivaled paid players an average salary of $220,000, compared to the WNBA’s average of $120,000 per season.
Its investors include tennis star Serena Williams, NBA players Trae Young, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, and football’s Alex Morgan. Warner Bros./Discovery, which has exclusive media rights, has recently increased its share of the league.
Other new leagues launched in 2025 were the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL), the first U.S. professional women’s league in the sport since 1954, League One Volleyball (LOVB), and the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league.
