2025 Game Changers: Moments That Defined This Year in Women's Sports

After records across sports were shattered in 2024, women's sports continued to be on the rise in 2025, leading to more national coverage, higher viewership and attendance, and crucial long-awaited expansion.

Let's look at some of the iconic, game-changing moments that defined 2025 in women's sports.

Pay Us What You Owe Us

During warmups for the WNBA All-Star game, players wore shirts that said "Pay Us What You Owe Us." In front of 2.2 million viewers and a sold-out crowd at Indiana's Gainbridge Fieldhouse, players united in their fight for higher salaries and a larger piece of revenue ahead of the next collective bargaining agreement, especially with the exponential growth the WNBA has experienced.

"The players are what is building this brand and this league," said Minnesota Lynx forward and 2025 All-Star MVP Napheesa Collier. "There is no league without the players, and past, present, the ones coming up, they're the ones that have put in the blood, sweat, and tears for the new money that's coming in."

Wilson, Aces Dominate

The Las Vegas Aces got back on top this year, winning their third championship title. This year's championship series, featuring a sweep by the Aces, was the second-highest watched (behind only last year's), and the regular season and postseason both saw their highest viewership in WNBA history.

A'ja Wilson continues to dominate the court and was named Time's 2025 Athlete of the Year. She won her fourth WNBA MVP title, second WNBA Finals MVP title, and third WNBA Defensive Player of the Year title. She also became the first player in the WNBA or NBA to be named MVP, Finals MVP, and DPOY in a single season.

UConn Wins 12th Title, Bueckers Makes WNBA Debut

Paige Bueckers was drafted first overall by the Dallas Wings and made her WNBA debut this season, but not before she and the UConn Huskies won the program's 12th NCAA Tournament Championship title. In the first three games of the tournament, Bueckers dropped over 30 points, including a career-high 40 points against Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen. UConn, ranked #3, upset #1 UCLA 85-51 in the National Semifinals. The Huskies returned to the national championship for the first time in three years and had a rematch against reigning champions South Carolina. The Huskies beat the Gamecocks 82-59 for their 12th NCAA title and first since 2016. This year's NCAA Women's Basketball Championship had the third-highest viewership ever across ESPN platforms, with 8.5 million viewers.

Bueckers had a successful first year in the WNBA and was named the 2025 Rookie of the Year. She led all rookies in total points, points per game, total assists, and assists per game. She was the only player this season ranked in the top 10 for points, assists, and steals per game. Bueckers joined only Caitlin Clark in finishing her rookie season with at least 500 points, 150 assists, 100 rebounds, and 50 steals, and was the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 100 assists. She also made WNBA history in her 44-point game against the Sparks, which set a single-game rookie record, as well as the first time a player in the league scored 40 or more points and shot at least 80 percent from the field in a game.

Unrivaled Basketball Debut

Unrivaled Basketball, founded by Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Liberty Forward Breanna Stewart, is a 3-on-3 league that allows WNBA players to play in the USA in the offseason. Players are also able to have higher salaries than they do in the WNBA.

“When it comes to each individual player, I think what we’re most proud of is they’re making more here per game than any league in the world,” said Collier's husband and president of Unrivaled, Alex Bazzell, to AP. “We want to now set the new standard of what expectation is for pay on the court. A lot of these players are making a lot of money off the court, but it’s that the best athletes in the world are compensated for what they do, which is basketball.”

WNBA Expansion

For the first time since 2008, the WNBA saw a new team with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. The Valkyries set a WNBA record by selling out every home game this year, proving that if you build a women's sports team, the people will come. And the expansion isn't stopping there.

The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will join the league next year, and the WNBA announced in July that it would be expanding to 18 teams in the next five years, with Cleveland joining in 2028, Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.

If I had to pick my favorite women's sports moment from this year, it would be my hometown of Cleveland getting the honor to welcome a WNBA team!

PWHL Records and Expansion

It was a great second year for the PWHL: the teams played in their second season and first with names, went on tour, and the league expanded to the West Coast. The Walter Cup stayed in Minnesota, with the Frost winning the championship again. A new season is underway, and while the Boston Fleet is currently at the top, there is still a lot of hockey to play (including with another tour coming at the beginning of the new year).

More fans showed up and had the chance to experience the PWHL with the Takeover Tour. A new professional women's hockey record was set in the United States when Denver had a crowd of 14,018 fans, and was broken again when 14,288 fans showed up in Detroit. Vancouver, as a stop on the tour, had a sold-out crowd of 19,038.

The PWHL expanded for the first time, welcoming teams in Seattle and Vancouver. The aforementioned USA attendance record was broken once more when the Seattle Torrent had a crowd of 16,014 at their home opener. The league noted that this is also the PWHL record for the highest-attended primary home venue game. The Vancouver Goldeneyes also made history with their introduction to the league as they are the first PWHL team to be the primary tenant of their home arena.

Team USA Soars in the Rivalry Series

In the Rivalry Series, an annual tournament between the United States and Canada's women's hockey teams, the USA absolutely dominated. They recorded the first sweep of the tournament's six-year history, beating Canada 4-1, 6-1, 10-4, and 4-1. These two teams are the best of the best and hold every Olympic gold medal. Now, fans head into the Olympics wondering if the USA can keep up its strength and carry its momentum to another gold, and if Canada can turn things around to defend its gold in February.

League One Volleyball Debut

League One Volleyball debuted its professional league, LOVB Pro, this year, with teams in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha, and Salt Lake City. LOVB Austin won the first championship title.

LOVB's mission is "to create better life outcomes for women through the sport of volleyball."

"LOVB is one holistic volleyball ecosystem, from club to pro. We are committed to championing the sport of volleyball - and every athlete who plays it - in unprecedented ways," the league states. "LOVB champions every stage of an athlete's journey: nurturing youthful passion into action, celebrating fierce and unbridled professional talent, and developing coaches to lead future generations [...] We are launching our professional league, LOVB Pro, from the grassroots up, built from our foundation of junior volleyball clubs and led by the world's best professional players."

LOVB features Olympians, national team members, and former college stars on its pro teams and gives them a league to play in professionally. It also has youth clubs, giving young athletes a place to grow in the sport and providing them opportunities to play collegiately and professionally. LOVB was founded in 2020 and has grown at the same time as volleyball's popularity.

Texas A&M Wins First NCAA Volleyball Tournament

It was an exciting year for NCAA Volleyball with upsets, surprises, and history made during the tournament. Texas A&M went on a tear, beating three of the four No. 1 seeds in this year's tournament. Nebraska was undefeated this season and was the clear favorite to win the championships... until Texas A&M came along. This crazy upset advanced the Aggies to their first Final Four appearance, where they faced Pitt. And Pitt had never been swept this season... until Texas A&M came along. The Aggies then went all the way, sweeping Kentucky in the championships, to win their first NCAA title.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League Debut

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) made its debut this summer with four inaugural teams: the Bandits, Blaze, Talons (who won the first championship title), and Volts. The league brings a new opportunity for softball players to play professionally, and has critical backing and investment from MLB. The AUSL is capitalizing and expanding on the popularity of softball, seen in the rise of viewership for the College World Series, and with the sport returning in the 2028 Olympics.

The AUSL's first season was a grand slam! MLB noted that the AUSL "had 24 sellouts and a 90% stadium-capacity fill rate. The season included 340 million social media impressions across AUSL and MLB channels and 347,000 viewers tuning in for the championship round."

The AUSL is learning from the successes and mistakes of the women's leagues that came before them to continue to build, grow, and stabilize a softball league.

“We're gonna keep running. Women's sports are on a climb. Everyone loves watching women's sports now," said Talons' catcher Sharlize Palacios. "It really is awesome to be able to see how we're growing and how people are recognizing the talent that we bring and just like the investment that everyone's having on it. It's honestly incredible.”

The league will add the Cascade and Oklahoma City Spark as teams next season, and the teams will receive home locations at the beginning of the new year.

A League of Their Own: The Women's Pro Baseball League

This year also saw the introduction of the Women's Pro Baseball League! The WPBL will be the first women's pro league since 1954. Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco will have the four inaugural teams, and will begin playing next summer in Springfield, Illinois.

600 players from 10 countries attended open tryouts in August, and the top 120 players advanced to the inaugural draft, where the four teams drafted 30 players. San Francisco drafted former USA baseball player and Savannah Bananas pitcher and outfielder Kelsie Whitmore with the first overall pick, Los Angeles drafted Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato second, with the third pick New York drafted infielder Kylee Lehners who was an All-American softball player for Washington before becoming a baseball player for Team USA, and Boston selected South Korean catcher Hyeonah Kim with their first pick.

"I'm proud to be a baseball player," said Kim, "Now I have a place to play and compete alongside women who shares the same passions."

It's been a long time coming, but women finally have a league of their own once again.

"Dream big, this could be you if you keep playing. Follow your passion,” said WPBL co-founder Justine Siegal. “Baseball is a game for all of us.”

NWSL Rises in Viewership

The NWSL saw significant growth in its viewership in the regular season, and especially in the championship game. Through ESPN platforms, the league experienced a 61% year-over-year increase in viewers for regular-season matches, and CBS had an average of 479,000 fans tuning into matches. 1.184 million viewers tuned in to the NWSL Championship game, where Gotham FC defeated the Washington Spirit 1-0, making it the most-watched NWSL game of all time. The league also saw a major increase in younger viewers, aged 18-34, tuning into the championship game.

“Surpassing one million viewers for the 2025 NWSL Championship is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful reflection of the momentum behind our league and our product. This record-setting audience demonstrates the deepening connection fans have with our players, our clubs and the world-class competition on the field, and it underscores the growing demand for women’s soccer on the biggest stages,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “We’re incredibly proud of what this moment represents for the NWSL and for everyone who continues to invest in and believe in the future of our game, and we’re grateful to our partners at CBS for their continued partnership and commitment to elevating the league on a national stage.”

Northern Super League Debut

A top-division professional women's soccer league was introduced in Canada with the Northern Super League. The NSL features six teams: Calgary Wild FC, Halifax Tides FC, Montréal Roses FC, Ottawa Rapid FC, AFC Toronto, and Vancouver Rise FC (the winners of the first championship). The league will give Canadian soccer the chance to play at home and have better and fair compensation.

“We’re making this product for everyone who believes in this dream,” said Project 8, Inc., the league's ownership team. “This league [will create] opportunities for Canadians, not just for players, but for fans, referees, coaches, and management. We’re here to grow the sport [and] to bring Canada’s first women’s sports league to life.”

The Washington Huskies Honor Mia Hamant

The Washington Huskies had a successful soccer season and played in the postseason in honor of their teammate, Mia Hamant. Hamant, their star senior goalkeeper, passed away from a rare kidney cancer just days before the Big Ten Championship, which would come down to penalty kicks. After successful kicks, each athlete honored Hamant: Jadyn Holdenried lifted her jersey to reveal a shirt that said "For Mia," Laura Cetina kissed her orange bracelet (orange is the color for kidney cancer awareness), and Alex Buck blew kisses to the sky. And, for Hamant, the Huskies won their first Big Ten Championship Title.

"To win it in PKs is just an unbelievable moment for this team," said Huskies head coach Nicole Van Dyke. "Obviously, it's been a hard week, but it just shows how much this team loves each other, how much they care about each other, and how much we love Mia. Mia's been with us the whole time. She's a part of everything we do, and she will always be. I can't put into words how appreciative we are of the support that everyone has given her, her family, this team, [and] our program. I'm just so happy for these kids."

Washington advanced all the way to the Elite Eight in the postseason, one of their most successful runs in program history. The Huskies persevered on and off the field, and it is without a doubt that Hamant would be so incredibly proud of her team.

NCAA Gymnastics on National TV

From sellouts to viewership records to finally getting more national broadcasts, the popularity of NCAA gymnastics is continuing to grow. A record 1.5 million people tuned into the NCAA Gymnastics Championship; women made up 57% of the audience, making it one of the largest female audience compositions for an event on ESPN platforms. This was also the most-watched Elite Eight and Four on the Floor, as ESPN reported 446,000 average viewers.

The Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad competitions at the beginning of the last two seasons were the most-watched live, regular-season collegiate gymnastics meets ever on ESPN platforms. The meet is returning on national broadcasts this year with Oklahoma, UCLA, Utah, and LSU competing at 4 PM on ABC, and Michigan State, Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan competing at 8 PM on ESPN2. In addition to these meets, ESPN will also broadcast 57 other NCAA women's gymnastics meets across its networks, including nine meets on ESPN2 (counting both sessions of the Elite Eight), a Big 12 matchup between Utah and Iowa State on ESPN, the Big 12 evening session on ESPNU, and, of course, the NCAA championship on ABC.

FOX also broadcast its first NCAA gymnastics meets this year. They broadcast a matchup between the best two teams in the Big Ten, Michigan State vs. UCLA, and one of the best former-conference rivalries in the sport, UCLA vs. Utah. FOX will show a couple more meets next season, with UCLA vs. Michigan State again, and will also show the first session of the Big Four meet, featuring Iowa, Maryland, Ohio State, and UCLA on Fox Sports 1.

Jordan Chiles Writing, Tumbling, and Dancing

Jordan Chiles had a busy and iconic year. Her autobiography, "I'm That Girl: Living The Power of My Dreams," was published earlier this year and details her gymnastics journey through the 2024 Olympics. Chiles also had a successful junior season, back with the UCLA Bruins after her second Olympics: she won gold with her team and on the floor exercise with a perfect 10 at the Big Ten Championships, and won gold on the uneven bars and silver with her team at the NCAA Championships. Chiles also wowed fans across the country with her dancing abilities on "Dancing with the Stars," especially with her empowering freestyle performance.

Alysa Liu Back and Better Than Ever

Alysa Liu initially retired when she was 16, right after the 2022 Olympics. Liu returned to the ice last year, and this year she competed in the World Figure Skating Championships, where she became the first American woman to win the gold since 2006. Now, Liu is looking towards her second Olympics and is building up her difficulty. At just 12 years old, she was the first female American to land a triple Axel in competition, and she is now training the skill once again, and will likely add it to her Olympic routine.

Liu's bio for NBC Olympics says, "This comeback isn’t just about medals — it’s about returning to the ice on her own terms, chasing the thrill that first made her fall in love with skating."

Summer McIntosh Makes a Splash on the Record Books

Summer McIntosh was one of the best swimmers in her first Olympics last year, winning three golds and two silvers. And she was just getting started. At the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, McIntosh broke three world records in five days! She set a new record of 3:54.18 in the 400m freestyle, beating Australian Olympian Ariarne Titmus's time by 1.2 seconds. Next, she broke a 10-year-old record in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:05.70. Then, she set a new record in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:23.65, breaking her own record by 0.73 seconds. McIntosh, only 18 years old at that meet, became the first swimmer since Michael Phelps in the 2008 Olympics to set three new world records in different individual events in one meet. She then went on to win five medals, four gold and one bronze, at this year's World Aquatics Championships.

When we watch, support, and invest in women's sports, it's a W for everyone.

Use the comments below to share your favorite women's sports moment from 2025!

Edited by: Kelly Cassette