Diana Flores

Photo Credit: Getty Images for the Women’s Sports Foundation

Changing the game, on the field and beyond

Diana Flores is a trailblazing athlete whose talent, leadership and vision have propelled flag football into a global phenomenon. As quarterback and captain of Mexico’s National Flag Football Team – and as an ambassador for both the NFL and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) – she has become the defining female face of football. For her impact on the field, combined with her tireless advocacy to open doors for future generations, the Women’s Sports Foundation is proud to honor Flores with its inaugural Game Changer Award. 

Flores’ journey began in Mexico City, where she picked up a football at just eight years old. In a country where opportunities for girls in sports was scarce, she forged her own path, often competing alongside boys and refusing to let barriers define her. By age 16, Flores had earned a spot on the Mexican National Team, becoming the youngest international player at the time and launching a career that would soon elevate her to global prominence. 

Her leadership and playmaking ability reached a historic peak at the 2022 World Games, when she guided Mexico to a remarkable 39–6 victory over the United States, winning the gold medal. Flores and her team followed up with another win against the U.S. in 2025, this time by a narrower margin – a result she described as “the evolution of the game, pushing all of us to become better to keep up with how the sport is growing worldwide.” Together, these victories cemented her as the global leader of flag football’s rise and as a trailblazer for women in the game. 

Flores’ influence extends far beyond the scoreboard. In 2023, she became the face of the NFL’s international flag football initiative, starring in the groundbreaking “Run With It” Super Bowl ad campaign. She also made history as the first flag football player to have personal artifacts displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy. Flores’ visibility continued to grow in 2024, when she joined the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board and again in 2025, when she provided commentary for Univision during the Super Bowl, sharing her insights and elevating the conversation around women’s football. 

With her sights now set on competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the first to include flag football, Flores continues to push boundaries, inspiring athletes everywhere to dream bigger and aim higher.  

Equally powerful is her role as a mentor and motivator, traveling extensively as a speaker and advocate to encourage young athletes to reach their full potential. “When girls see me play,” said Flores, “I want them to know they can do anything – no matter where they come from, no matter what obstacles they face.” Her advocacy underscores that her influence is as much about breaking barriers off the field as it is about scoring touchdowns on it. 

By honoring Flores with the Re-Writing the Game Award, the Women’s Sports Foundation celebrates not only her historic accomplishments but also her lasting influence as a global ambassador for one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. At just 28 years old, she has already changed the game – on the field, in the spotlight and in the hearts of young athletes everywhere, inspiring them to envision their future and to run with it. 

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Herb Simon

Photo Credit: Getty Images for the Women’s Sports Foundation

A Legacy of Opportunity and Impact 

For more than four decades, Herb Simon has been a visionary force in professional sports, shaping the game on and off the court. As owner and chairman of Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) and the longest-tenured owner in NBA history, Simon has built a legacy defined by competitive success, community impact, and opportunity for all. His unwavering dedication to creating pathways for women in sports is why he is this year’s Champion for Equality Award honoree. 

In 1983, Simon purchased the Indiana Pacers alongside his brother, Melvin, ensuring the franchise would remain in Indianapolis. Two years later, he helped bring the 1985 NBA All-Star Game to the city, setting an attendance record that stood for 25 years. Over the decades, Simon has guided PS&E with a philosophy that blends competitive excellence with civic responsibility, helping the NBA expand its global reach while keeping the Pacers deeply rooted in Indiana. 

Simon’s impact on women’s sports has been equally transformative. Recognizing the promise and importance of the WNBA, he brought the Indiana Fever into the league in 2000. Under his leadership, the Fever became a model franchise, capturing the 2012 WNBA championship and, most recently, inspiring a new generation of athletes with a surge of star power and record-breaking fan engagement. Simon has remained a steadfast advocate for women’s basketball, investing in the league’s growth and championing its athletes as leaders and role models. 

His commitment to inclusion is reflected in his approach to leadership. Simon has consistently worked to create opportunities for women across all levels of PS&E, from the front office to the court. He believes sports can be a powerful platform for change, and his support for initiatives that elevate women’s voices and expand access to the game reflects that belief. 

Beyond sports, Simon’s influence is deeply felt throughout Indiana. The Simon family’s philanthropic contributions span education, the arts, healthcare, and community development. From supporting local nonprofits to funding large-scale civic projects, Simon’s generosity reflects a lifelong commitment to strengthening communities across the state. His approach is personal and enduring – investing not only resources but also time, relationships, and care. 

In 2024, Simon’s contributions to the sport were recognized with one of basketball’s highest honors when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The milestone underscored a career defined by innovation, dedication, and an unwavering belief in the power of sports to unite and inspire. 

Through his leadership, advocacy, and philanthropy, Simon has shown that true success is measured not just in wins and championships, but in the opportunities created and the lives impacted along the way. 

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Alysia Montaño

Photo Credit: Getty Images for the Women’s Sports Foundation

Courageously Advocating for Mom Athletes 

Alysia Montaño has become one of the most influential voices fighting for equity in sports for mom athletes – challenging outdated norms, confronting systemic barriers and driving policy changes to ensure women can compete at the highest level while raising a family. The Women’s Sports Foundation is proud to honor Montaño’s transformative impact with this year’s Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, celebrating her bold leadership and unwavering commitment to empowering mom athletes to stay in the game. 

Montaño is a seven-time national champion in Track & Field and an Olympic bronze medalist, who since high school has been known for her fearless front-running style and the signature flower she wore in her hair while racing – symbols of strength and femininity coexisting. She competed for the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned All-American honors and a degree in Theater and Performing Arts, developing the voice and presence that would later make her a force beyond sports. Though a foot injury sidelined her from competing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she rebounded to medal for Team USA at the 2012 London Games, establishing herself as one of the nation’s top middle-distance runners.

But Montaño’s most defining moments came a few years later. In 2014, she made global headlines when she competed at the U.S. Track and Field Championships while eight months pregnant with her first child – an act that redefined visibility for mom athletes. The image of her racing with her baby bump became an enduring symbol of resilience, sparking conversations around pregnancy, performance, and perception in elite athletics. Behind the scenes, however, Montaño faced pressure from sponsors and the loss of contract support, consequences that exposed the harsh realities faced by women athletes who choose to start a family.

Refusing to accept the status quo, Montaño spoke out. In a 2019 opinion article published in The New York Times, she detailed how her pregnancy had led to the quiet disappearance of her sponsorship deal, helping to ignite a nationwide conversation about the lack of maternity protections for professional women athletes. Her voice emboldened mothers to come forward with their own stories of adversity in professional sports and beyond, and helped drive public accountability and push companies toward long-overdue policy change.

Determined to turn advocacy into sustainable impact, Montaño co-founded For All Mothers+ (formerly known as &Mother), a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating the motherhood penalty by breaking down barriers that prevent women from thriving as professionals in the sports industry and mothers. What began as a movement for athlete moms has grown into a broader effort to support all mothers through research, workplace policy reform, and community-driven solutions that make it possible for women to pursue their goals without having to choose between career and family caregiving. 

Now a proud mother of three, Montaño has retired from competitive racing, but her commitment to creating space for future generations to pursue their dreams without compromise remains unwavering. Her courage – on the track, in the media, and through her ongoing activism – has paved the way for women athletes to embrace their ambitions. Her leadership has helped shift the culture of sport to better reflect the lives of women everywhere. 

In the spirit of Wilma Rudolph, Montaño continues to run toward change and bring others with her every step of the way. 

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Michele Kang

Photo Credit: Getty Images for the Women’s Sports Foundation

Championing a Bold New Era for Women’s Sports 

Michele Kang is redefining what is possible in women’s sports, not just in the United States, but around the world. A visionary entrepreneur and investor, Kang is this year’s Billie Jean King Leadership Award honoree for her trailblazing work to elevate and reimagine the women’s sports landscape. With a bold, global vision and a deep commitment to equality, she is building the infrastructure and investment needed to fuel long-term, systemic change. 

Born and raised in South Korea, Kang came to the United States in the 1980s with a determination to pursue higher education and expand her opportunities. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago, followed by a master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management – an academic foundation that propelled a remarkable career in the technology sector and honed the strategic and operational expertise she would later bring to the world of sports. 

Fast forward to 2020, when she reached a historic milestone by becoming the first woman of color to own a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team – the Washington Spirit. She quickly rebuilt the organization with a player-first approach. Her leadership has ushered in a new era of stability and growth, rooted in values of respect, integrity, and empowerment. 

In 2024, Kang launched the first-ever global multi-club ownership model in women’s soccer where she serves as Founder and CEO. Under her leadership, Kynisca now includes three powerhouse teams across three countries: the Washington Spirit in the U.S., OL Lyonnes in France, and London City Lionesses in the United Kingdom. Her model is not just unprecedented – it is transformational. By connecting clubs across continents, she is strengthening the women’s game commercially, competitively, and culturally. 

Kang’s impact and influence transcend far beyond the pitch. Through Kynisca, she has extended support to other key organizations throughout the women’s sports landscape, including USA Women’s Rugby, U.S. Soccer, and IDA Sports – a footwear brand designed specifically for women athletes. Each investment is intentional and driven by her belief that women athletes deserve the same infrastructure, innovation and visibility afforded to men’s sports. 

What distinguishes Kang’s leadership is her ability to merge business acumen with cultural impact. She is not simply backing women’s sports; she is building a business model to sustain them. By focusing on long-term value rather than short-term gains, she is boldly setting a new standard for what leadership in sport can and should look like. 

In the past year alone, Kang’s work has garnered widespread acclaim. She was recently appointed President of the Olympique Lyonnais men’s team, named ESPN’s Sports Philanthropist of the Year, featured on the Forbes Billionaires List and recognized on the TIME 100 Philanthropy List. These accolades reflect not just her personal success, but the cultural and commercial momentum she is driving across the entire industry. 

Michele Kang embodies the spirit of Billie Jean King – courageous, innovative, and unrelenting in the pursuit of equality. We salute her leadership in sparking a new chapter for women’s sports, one rooted in investment, global connectivity, and unstoppable belief in what is possible. 

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Watching a WNBA game today is power and promise in action: the power of its foundational legacy and the promise of the next generation. Talent and thrilling competition have always been in the league; now the world knows it. The momentum of the past several years – parents taking their daughters and sons to WNBA games, kids lining up to get player autographs, NBA players and Hollywood stars wearing the league’s orange hoodie – has led to this 28th season’s sold-out arenas, record-breaking viewership, and unprecedented merchandise sales. A well-deserved reflection on the grit and determination of the hundreds of women athletes who have steadily built the league from its tipoff on June 21, 1997, on.

But this 2024 season is special. The next-level buzz happening around the women’s game is due in large part to one of the most star-studded and stacked rookie classes in the league’s recent history. The 2024 WNBA Draft class not only brought their talent to the league, they also came with  social media influence and marketing clout – which helps further grow WNBA coverage, viewership, and followers. This group is changing the game. For their collective impact building on the foundation and propelling the game to new heights, the WNBA rookie class of 2024 is receiving the Women’s Sports Foundation’s first ever Next Gen Award.

This rookie class was drafted into a WNBA that looks far different than it did when the formation of the league was first announced in April of 1996. That inaugural 1997 season, and many seasons that followed, came before the proliferation of smartphones, social media platforms and NIL deals. These powerful tools have helped players build their own brands and become recognizable household names – which in turn has helped the league reach a formidable $1 billion valuation, making it the first women’s sports league valued in the billions. No small feat, it has taken investment over time at all levels of the sports ecosystem to achieve.

Watching the WNBA 2024 rookie class fiercely compete on the court and influence culture off the court, is witnessing the impact of Title IX play out in live action. This landmark law has led to increased opportunities for girls and women – in basketball and beyond – and as a result, we have progressively seen more players with remarkable talent vying for the 144 roster spots throughout the league’s 12 teams. Title IX’s 37 words changed the trajectory of women’s sports that this season’s rookies have benefited from throughout their lives.

History in sport is both past and present; a collection of firsts on which foundations are built, records are made and in time surpassed by the next generation. Over its almost three-decade history, players of the WNBA have helped their teams win back-to-back league championships, led Team USA to winning gold in a  record eight straight Olympics, and showed the world how a league dedicates an entire season to social justice. All of this and more helped grow the game and pave the path for the generation that followed.

Today, we see rookies such as Angel Reese set a new WNBA record for the most consecutive double-doubles (15), Caitlin Clark compiled the most points, assists and 3-point field goals ever made by a rookie in WNBA history, Rickea Jackson scoring over 400 points, and more. A fitting return on the pre-Draft excitement that saw massive lines wrapped around the Barclays Center and a record 2.45M viewers tune in, broadcast partners commit to increasing the number of nationally-televised games, and for the first time in league history, three teams sold out their season ticket plans well ahead of May’s season tipoff.

It’s clear that the future of women’s basketball is bright. And in this moment, it is important to give a “shout out’ to all the women that built this sport and League, those that came before its formation, and those that have been building it for the last 28 years. And now, here’s to the Next Gen who will boldly carry the torch forward.

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It has been 25 years since the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s legendary penalty shoot-out against China during the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, which secured the team — who became known as “The 99ers™” — a victory in front of 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. It is a triumph that is remembered for catalyzing so much more than just winning a game. It was a moment that inspired millions around the world and changed the trajectory of women’s sports forever. What makes The 99ers deserving of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Wilma Rudolph Courage Award is not only their grit, power and determination demonstrated on the pitch that day, but also how they have bravely used their platform to advocate for critical gains in soccer and, more broadly, for girls and women, that have reverberated throughout the sports ecosystem.

The 99ers’ fight for equality, including better pay and working conditions, has been well documented, but some may not realize that their uphill battle began a few years prior to that epic Women’s World Cup final in Pasadena. 

Ahead of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta — where women’s soccer made its debut — the U.S. Soccer Federation locked out nine players from training camp for advocating for equitable contracts between the women’s and men’s teams. After several weeks, their tenacity paid off. They secured new contracts that guaranteed bonuses for making the podium, not just winning gold, as well as previously unheard-of basic benefits, including paid pregnancy leave, severance pay, additional performance bonuses and paid childcare for two of the players who had young children. Though the nine holdouts’ first-ever chance to compete at the Olympic Games was on the line, they knew they could use their platform for good and make a difference for future generations. They returned to the team in early 1996 and went on to win gold in Atlanta.

Their Olympic gold put women’s soccer on the national map; yet ahead of the 1999 Women’s World Cup, the team found itself in another dispute, this time against FIFA, which wanted the World Cup matches to be played in small stadiums solely in the Northeast. Confident in their ability to draw big crowds fitting for a global sport tournament, the team petitioned FIFA, arguing that the women’s tournament should be played inside big stadiums in major cities, just like the men did in 1994. Despite offering virtually no financial support, FIFA gave them the green light. The team bet on itself, and they won big. They played first in front of a sold-out crowd at Giants Stadium, where iconic boy-band *NSYNC performed at the opening ceremony; and the final at the Rose Bowl drew such large numbers that it got Jennifer Lopez’s attention, filming her music video for “Let’s Get Loud” live ahead of kickoff.

The 99ers’ success was a testament to the power of unity. As they stood together, prioritizing “we before me,” they refused to accept minimal support from the U.S. Soccer Federation. They found their own sponsor for the World Cup victory tour, leading to improved salaries, better training facilities, and enhanced recovery benefits. Their collective effort laid a strong foundation for future achievements, including the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s landmark equal pay lawsuit, which resulted in a historic settlement in 2022, and the passage of the Equal Pay for Team USA Act by Congress.

WSF founder Billie Jean King’s vision to pave a path to equity for girls and women both on and off the field of play was exemplified by The 99ers’ courage to challenge the status quo. Their determination moved the needle forward and helped women’s sports get to where they are today — shattering records and outdated assumptions. They fueled the flame of progress, and, though there is still work to do, their impact should never be forgotten. 

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Kimbra and Mark Walter

For decades, Kimbra and Mark Walter have been working to make the world a better place, one investment at a time. They share a commitment to social justice and equity that has led them to help drive the explosive growth of women’s sports. Their understanding that women’s sports is a wise investment, their bold choice to go all-in on a new professional women’s league, and their determination to empower women athletes in different arenas are why they are this year’s Billie Jean King Leadership Award recipients.  

Kimbra is a distinguished attorney, and Mark is the CEO of TWG Global and Guggenheim Partners. Mark and his partners purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 and revived the storied franchise. The relationships the Walters built with other members of the ownership group have further shaped their sports investment journey. 

Not long after Mark, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson and their investment partners acquired the Dodgers, they saw that the future of the Los Angeles Sparks was at risk. The importance of preserving one of the original WNBA franchises made it an easy decision for members of the group to purchase the Sparks in 2014 — keeping the team’s legacy intact while continuing to grow its fan base. Today, the Sparks remain one of the more popular teams in the league, as the WNBA continues to reach new heights in attendance.  

Additionally, the Walters and a number of their partners have acquired stakes in the iconic Los Angeles Lakers and Chelsea Football Club franchises; the commercial arm of the Professional Squash Association; the Billie Jean King Cup, the premier international team competition in women’s tennis; and the Andretti Global motorsports conglomerate.  

Kimbra and Mark have founded or are major benefactors of several organizations that expand opportunity for young people from under-served communities. These include the Academy Group, Chicago Beyond, OneGoal and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. And through TWF Conservation, the Walter family works to save imperiled species and natural habitats around the world by protecting wildlife, securing vast wilderness areas, and establishing assurance populations. 

It is no surprise that Kimbra and Mark would hit it off with sports icon, social justice pioneer and WSF Founder Billie Jean King and WSF past Board Chair Ilana Kloss, who became part of the Dodgers ownership group in 2018. Together, they led the launching of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The six-team league dropped the puck commencing its inaugural season in January 2024, which led to record-breaking attendance, viewership, social engagement and new partnerships.    

Though they avoid the spotlight as they create meaningful change, their work is extraordinarily worthy of recognition. Kimbra and Mark have shown that intentional investments and hard work can build a more equitable world — in sports and beyond.  

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Claressa Shields

(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for WSF)

“My goal is to go down as the best women’s fighter in history.” Since stepping into the professional ring in 2016, Claressa Shields has proven to the world she is a formidable force and can excel in the squared circle with confidence, power and dominance no matter what combinations are thrown her way. At only 28 years old, Shields has a long list of accomplishments to be proud of. Largely considered one of the best pound-for-pound women boxers in history, her impressive brawling style — paired with her agility to move from the ring to the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting cages, all while adding wins to her undefeated boxing record — has earned her the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Individual Sportswoman of the Year Award.

Shields is determined to go the distance and continues to show her opponents she is a qualified contender by clinching 14 wins (two by knockout) and zero losses since going pro. The past year, she showcased her prowess by participating in some of the most significant fights in women’s boxing history, including her bout against Savannah Marshall in October 2022, which sold out the O2 Arena in London and drew 2 million viewers on Sky TV, and her one-sided fight in June 2023 against Maricela Cornejo at the Little Ceasar’s Arena in Detroit, Mich. Both were won by unanimous decision.

Shields sparred her way onto the sport’s world’s largest stage when she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games, where for the first time the 10 men’s boxing events were joined by three women’s events: flyweight, lightweight and middleweight. Four years later, Shields won a second gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. She is the only American — male or female — to win back-to-back gold medals in boxing. She is also a two-time world championship gold medalist and a Pan American gold medalist.

Looking for a new challenge in the combative sports universe, Shields is working towards becoming a two-sport star. In 2021, while still defending her boxing titles, she made her much-anticipated MMA debut, scoring a jaw-dropping come-from-behind knockout her first time in the octagon. Most recently, she signed another multiyear deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and is expected to return to the PFL’s SmartCage in 2024. To date, she holds a 1-1 record in MMA.

Shields’ journey has been far from easy. From poverty to abuse to bullying, she has overcome many obstacles to get to where she is today. As she points out, “boxing saved my life,” and she often thanks the strong influences who helped guide her along the way, never letting circumstances dictate her actions. She is the first member of her family to graduate from high school, and her story of overcoming adversity to become the greatest women boxer in the world fuels her advocacy work in her hometown of Flint, Mich., where she is deemed a local hero and global sports icon. 

Winning titles in three weight classes, Shields has proven time and again that no matchup is too great for her as she continues to build her legacy as a pioneering athlete, inspiring young girls to keep jabbing until they reach the top. 

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Natalie Schneider

“The fast-paced action of the game and comradery with the team filled a void that I didn’t even know was there.” Throughout her professional career, Natalie Schneider has proven she is one of the “greatest threats” competing on Team USA’s Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team. As a four-time Paralympian with her eyes set on Paris 2024, Schneider continues to prove the sky’s the limit and no goal is too great for her to achieve. From a women’s world championship victory to an MVP win, her incredible athletic performance this past year paired with her ability to push herself and her team to new heights is why she is this year’s Women’s Sports Foundation’s Team Sportswoman of the Year. 

From buzzer beaters to epic free throws and assists, Schneider has been captivating audiences on the court for 15 years. Winning three Paralympic medals, seven National Championships and landing on the podium at two Parapan American Games, she has shown the world what is possible when you continue to fine-tune your athletic-skills and remain determined to stay at the top of your sport. 

Scheinder’s story is more than triumph, it is one of persistent perseverance. The summer following her sophomore year of high school where she helped lead her basketball team to the state tournament, her life was quickly turned upside down when she was diagnosed with bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in her distal femur. She spent the next 10 months undergoing chemotherapy and limb-salvage surgery that replaced the bottom half of her femur and knee-joint with a titanium prosthesis. She was told she would never run, jump or play the sport she loved again, which according to her was “a million times worse than finding out she had cancer.”

It took six years, but Schneider rebounded back into sport after reading an article in her local newspaper, which informed her that her implant qualified her for a local sitting volleyball league. Through that sport experience, she discovered wheelchair basketball, playing with her local team while obtaining her Masters in Statistics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Shortly after graduating in 2007, she was invited to try out for her first USA team and had an extraordinary start to her career by assisting the team to a gold medal win at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. 

Schneider went on to compete in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Paralympic Games and came in and out of retirement throughout the years as she built a family with her husband. She is now the mother of three daughters, two of which got to witness her secure her second gold medal in the Rio Games. Remaining a top player on Team USA, Schneider is vying to compete in her fifth Paralympics before officially retiring. 

Between matchups and training sessions, she is working towards a personal training certification so she can coach her daughters’ sports teams and other young athletes in her community. She hopes to pass along everything she has learned throughout her basketball career to help others discover their limitless potential on and off the field of play.

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Stacey Allaster

Photo Credit: USTA

Chief Executive of Professional Tennis at the USTA and Tournament Director of the US Open

“I have always found a way. No matter what the challenge is.” For over 30 years, Stacey Allaster has demonstrated that no obstacle is too great for her to overcome. Despite never having played professional tennis, she is one of the most competitive, visionary, and successful leaders in the sport. Allaster has helped grow tennis on an international level while advocating for equality and has paved a path to the C-suite that other women can follow. For her dedicated advocacy and achievements on behalf of women athletes in one of the world’s most popular sports, she is being honored with the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2023 Billie Jean King Leadership Award.

A native of Canada, Allaster began working in tennis at age 12, cleaning red clay courts for pocket change at a community club. By 16, she became a certified teaching professional to pay for her own lessons, eventually competing at the University of Western Ontario while earning her bachelor’s degree (and where she later received an MBA and Honorary Doctorate of Law). After being rejected three times for positions at Tennis Canada, she finally got her foot in the door in 1991, and became VP of Sales & Marketing, and the Tournament Director of the Canadian Open.

Joining the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) as president in 2006, she became Chairman and CEO in 2009. Under her leadership, the WTA grew the brand globally: doubling prize money, securing over $1 billion in revenue and creating one of the largest media rights and production ventures in women’s sports history. Allaster also ensured women athletes received equal prize money at 11 events, including the Grand Slams.

For these achievements, she was named one of the “most powerful women in sports,” a “50 over 50 Visionary” by Forbes, and a “Top 50 Hero in the past 50 years” by Tennis Magazine. In 2022, Allaster was named Companion of the Order of Canada, her native country’s highest civilian honor, for her trailblazing contributions to women’s equality in professional sport and for her dedicated mentorship.

Allaster now serves as Chief Executive of Professional Tennis at the USTA and Tournament Director of the US Open, the first woman director in its 140-year history. Only four years after her USTA tenure began, her leadership and crisis management skills were tested by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when, with focus and determination, Allaster was a driving force helping to put the entire tennis industry back to work, not only in New York City but around the world. The 2020 US Open became a blueprint for how professional tennis could stage events during the pandemic. Most recently, Allaster was part of the team that staged the hugely successful 2023 US Open, celebrating Billie Jean King and the USTA’s commitment to awarding equal pay for 50 years.

Allaster has often reflected on the role that Billie Jean King played in her life and has often said that the best way she can express her gratitude and honor BJK is to “pay it forward;” to serve as a role model and inspire the next generation of women to accept no limits on their dreams, and to become leaders in the male-dominated world of sports business.

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