Annual Salute to Women in Sports

Photo by Michelle Farsi for WSF

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2025 Billie Jean King Leadership Award Recipient

Michele Kang is revolutionizing women’s sports on a global stage. As founder of Kynisca, the first multi-team global powerhouse in women’s soccer, she is bolstering the game’s commercial and cultural potential. After making history as the first women of color to own a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, the Washington Spirit, she expanded the OL Lyonnes and London City Lionesses, forging a bold new model for the sport. Through Kynisca, Kang has also championed others in the women’s sports ecosystem including USA Women’s Rugby, U.S. Soccer, and IDA Sports. Combining sharp entrepreneurial instincts with strategic investment, Kang is driving impact and breaking barriers to help build a sustainable future for women’s sports.

Photo by Forbes

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2025 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award Recipient

Alysia Montaño is transforming the landscape of women’s sports through fearless advocacy for mom athletes. A seven-time national champion and Olympic bronze medalist, she became a global symbol of strength and defiance when she raced while eight months pregnant – shattering outdated norms and igniting a movement for maternal rights in sport. Off the track, Montaño has driven policy reform, challenged industry giants, and built platforms that demand equity for women balancing elite competition and motherhood. Her bold leadership is breaking barriers, rewriting rules, and building a future where women everywhere never have to choose between starting a family and their ambitions.

Presented by Earlystone

Credit Josh Glazerbrook

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2025 Champion for Equality Award Recipient

Herb Simon is the owner and chairman of Pacers Sports & Entertainment and a trailblazer in women’s professional basketball. He brought the Indiana Fever to the WNBA in 2000, leading the team to its 2012 Championship and helping elevate the league’s national profile. Simon is the longest-tenured owner in both the WNBA and NBA and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. A dedicated champion of women’s sports, Simon and his family have made lasting civic and philanthropic contributions throughout Indiana. 

Presented by the NBA/WNBA

Credit Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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2025 Re-Writing the Game Award Recipient

Diana Flores is captain of Mexico’s National Flag Football Team, an ambassador for both the NFL and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), and a global champion of flag football’s historic growth. She led Mexico to a gold medal at the 2022 World Games and a repeat victory over the United States in 2025, helping to elevate the sport on a global stage. Flores also starred in the NFL’s groundbreaking “Run With It” Super Bowl ad campaign, becoming one of the most recognizable faces in flag football and inspiring a worldwide reimagining of women’s sports.

Presented by Herbalife

Credit Humberto Mundo

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