The Muffet McGraw era is over after the Hall of Fame coach retired after 33 years at the helm of Notre Dame women's basketball, but her stamp on the program remains intact. Now, her successor, friend and mentee Niele Ivey is poised to forge her own legacy with the Fighting Irish.
At age 14, Kyra Condie needed back surgery to fuse 10 vertebrae. What followed was an intense pushback on the idea that she would never climb again and a dedication to honing her skills. Now, at age 24, Condie is one of the first U.S. women to qualify for climbing as an Olympic sport.
University of Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen is one of only five women to hold the position in the Power 5 sports conferences, the nation’s most lucrative and influential. The journey Cohen took to get there has helped her navigate the uncertainties of 2020.
Throughout her career, the U.S. women's national team and NWSL star has constantly rolled with the punches and evolved, emerging with a successful and more fulfilling outcome.
Introducing Sports Illustrated's list of the most powerful, most influential and most outstanding women in sports right now—the game-changers who are speaking out, setting the bar and making a difference.