It comes time again for our Top 10 list of Female Athletes of the Year. We've got National Champions, Upsets like no other, repeats and newbies!!!! SO check out who made our list and see if you agree!!! 10. Candace Parker: WNBA superstar Candace Parker makes our list for her incredible statistics out on the court. Her averages are 16.9 Point per Game, 9.1 Rebounds per Game, 5.1 Assists per Game, 2 Blocks per Game, 34.1 MPG, and 2.5 SPG. Currently playing for the LA Sparks, Parker is a leader out on the court. She was also named best WNBA player at the 2017 ESPY awards, and was named to the All-WNBA First Team. She has now led the Sparks to their second straight finals appearance. I think it’s safe to say she has her spot on our list “in the bucket”.
9. Shalane Flanagan: If you want to see what a strong woman is take a look at Shalane Flanagan. She is the fist woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977. However it was strange to see her running here because she hadn’t run a marathon since the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she finished 6th. However, that wasn’t enough for her, and it drove her back to Boston to win big! She finished the race with a time of just 2 hours 26 minutes and 53 seconds. She makes our list because of her sheer utter drive to want to be the best and go for the bigger golds. 8. South Carolina Women's Basketball Team: Facing the team that just upset one of the greatest women’s basketball teams of all time (Miss State), South Carolina Women’s Basketball Team takes a spot on our list as well as taking home their first National Title. This was the Gamecocks’ second appearance in the Final Four in three years. A’ja Wilson was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, and both her and Allisha Gray were named to the All-Final Four team. For their National Title win they took down another team on our list (Mississippi State) 67-55. They are earning of a spot on our list because of their fight to the top as underdogs! 7. Oklahoma Women's Softball Team: In 2017 this incredible women’s team took home their second straight, their third in the last five years, and now their fourth National Title. While it may seem as though I have bias towards my own school, these girls are one hundred percent deserving of this spot on our top ten list. Star players included Shay Knighten, who was nominated for a 2017 ESPY for Female College Athlete of the year and named WCWS’ Most Outstanding Player, and freshman Nicole Mendes, both were named to the All-Tournament Team. If you didn’t get a chance to see the series, one of their games against the University of Florida went into 17 innings, in which they would end up going on to win. These girls show true fight every time they step out there. If you ever get a chance to see them play I highly recommend it! 6. Oklahoma Women's Gymnastics Team: POWERHOUSES. That’s what these girls are. Two time national champions, the OU Women's Gymnastics team takes a spot on our list because of their continuous incredible performances. In the Super Six Finals, this team also set an NCAA record team score of 198.375. Finishing their season with a 33-0 record, with their first undefeated season in Sooner History, the team starts their season back up at the top of the Preseason Poll for the third year in a row. These outstanding athletes are incredible to watch, and if you ever get the chance to see them do their stuff I highly advise you go see them. 5. Mississippi State Women's Basketball Team: TALK ABOUT UPSETS!!! This Mississippi State Women’s Basketball Team took down the prior two time national champions, UCONN to go on to their FIRST National Championship appearance. This incredible performance is arguably one of the biggest upsets of all time in women’s basketball history. No one thought it was going to happen…and that’s what makes their story so great. Against all odds, this team fought hard and pulled out a win against one of the greatest women’s basketball teams of all time. They earn a spot on our Top 10 List because of their will to fight and win no matter what kind of pressure they faced. 4. Alex Morgan: In 2017, Alex Morgan was on fire out on the field. With the US National Team Morgan finished with seven goals in the final eight games of 2017. She also took on a role internationally, playing for the French Club, Olympique Lyonnais, where she competed for a Champions League title and a Division 1 Féminine title. Coming off this in July, Morgan returned to the Orlando Pride (NWSL) where she totaled nine goals and four assists (all of which scored in August), and helping the team to its first playoff appearance. Morgan has also been nominated for the 2017 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, and was just named the CONCACAF Women's Player of the Year. Morgan makes our list because of her continuous ability to simply put the ball in the back of the net, no matter the stage she is playing on. 3. Katie Ledecky: Taking a spot on our Top 10 list again is stud swimmer, Katie Ledecky. While making a name for herself last year at the Rio Olympics with five gold medals and breaking world records, this year Ledecky won six medals – including five golds – at the 2017 FINA World Championships, claiming three-peats in three individual events and setting the women’s record for most career world championship gold medals with 14 overall. The “splash” she is leaving on the swimming world is incredible and we can’t wait to see what more she has in store. 2. Julie Ertz: Set piece queen, Julie Ertz (formally Julie Johnston), has made a huge impact on U.S. Soccer this year. The winner of the 2017 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, Ertz has totaled six goals on the season, all off of set pieces, as a holding midfielder. Playing for Chicago Red Stars (NWSL) currently, Ertz has totaled four goals and three assists, one her goals being an incredible late minute goal earning her “Goal of the Week” (Week 19). She was named to the NWSL’s Second XI. Ertz ranks on our list not just because of her ability to score, but because that is a complete 180 from what she was doing a year ago. Ertz was one of the top central defenders in the world and now this change of position has brought out a great, if not better, side to her. 1. Serena Williams: Serena is arguably the greatest female tennis player to ever play, and one of the biggest names in sports for women ever. This year Serena makes our top 10 list because of her impressive record of Glam Slam Titles. This year she obtained her 23rd…yes that is correct… Grand Slam Title, which higher than any male tennis player, but also only one away from Margaret Court’s world record of 24. In 2017 she took home the Australian Open to own this title. Also she did this pregnant…. She was also named Best Female Tennis Player at the 2017 ESPY Awards, but we all know she could give those male tennis players a run for their money! Thanks for reading about our Top 10 for 2017! We wish you the happiest New Year and can't wait for the awesome athletes for 2018 to showcase themselves! Who knows...maybe YOU could be on our list next year!!! Honorable Mentions for 2017 Simone Biles: Awarded the 2017 Female Athlete of the Year, Simone Biles, for the second year in a row makes our Top 10 List. Biles is now the most decorated U.S. Gymnast ever, with 19 Olympic and World Championship Medals. Because of this she was also named the Best Female U.S. Athlete. While this is what has earned Biles her spot on our list, she isn’t done yet. The young gymnast is already back training where she is preparing for the 2020 Olympics, hopefully where she will bring home more of the gold. Allyson Felix: This track stud earned her spot on our list last year as part of her four man sprinting team, but this year she takes a spot on the honorable mentions on her own. Earning the Jesse Owens Olympic Sprit Award presented by Team USA. She has set record breaking highs on the track and continues to show that she is deserving of this spot. She has earned nine Olympic Golds and 16 World Championships. Now, Felix has set her eyes on her fifth Olympics Games. Lindsey Horan: Along with Morgan and Ertz, Lindsey Horan was nominated for the 2017 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year. She racked up four assists and one goal this season for the U.S. Women’s National Team. Currently, she plays for the Portland Thorns NWSL team where she has earned four goals, two of which being game winners and one of those in the NWSL final over North Carolina Courage (1-0), and two assists in the season, leading the Thorns to an 2017 NWSL title. Horan was also named to the NWSL’s Second XI. Although Horan isn’t a scoring machine, she makes our list because of the playmaker in which she is. The opportunities Horan creates sets her teammates up for goals and goals and goals.
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GoalTo keep girls involved in sports for longer Archives
October 2021
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