2023: The Year Of Women's Sports

Summary

Podcast Summary: "2023: The Year Of Women's Sports"

Podcast: The Lead
Hosts: Tiffany Oshinsky & Anders Kelto
Date: December 22, 2023

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Overview

In this episode, The Lead explores how 2023 became a landmark year for women’s sports. Co-hosts Tiffany Oshinsky and Anders Kelto review the year’s biggest stories, celebrate record-breaking achievements, spotlight the athletes who captured the world’s attention, and dive into the moments that signaled both progress and ongoing challenges. The tone is celebratory, insightful, and driven by the athletes’ triumphs and struggles on and off the field.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Women's Sports Take Center Stage (02:28)

• TV Viewership and Sponsorship Soar:
  • 2023 saw unprecedented interest in women’s sports—record TV audiences for both the Women's World Cup and WNBA, and packed stadiums for NCAA basketball and volleyball.
  • "Women's elite sports will now surpass $1 billion in revenue next year, more than three times what Deloitte had predicted in 2021." (Tiffany Oshinsky, 02:53)
  • Displays of athleticism, like Chloe Kelly’s record-setting penalty kick, captured headlines.

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2. March Madness: The Caitlin Clark Phenomenon (03:58)

• The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament set the tone, with Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes dominating headlines.
• The championship between Iowa (all white starters) and LSU (all Black starters) brought racial dynamics to the forefront, especially after First Lady Jill Biden’s White House invitation controversy.
• Notable Quote:
  • "There were some who felt that the outsized attention the Iowa team was getting had as much to do with how the team looked as how it played." (Anders Kelto, 04:54)
• TV records were smashed: 9.9 million viewers, doubling the previous year and marking it as ESPN’s most-watched college sports event.
• Clark's impact extended beyond the court:
  • "Caitlin Clark also received the highest possible honor in Iowa, her likeness carved into butter at the Iowa State Fair." (Anders Kelto, 06:14)

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3. Volleyball’s Unstoppable Rise: Nebraska Sets the Bar (06:26)

• The University of Nebraska women’s volleyball team drew over 90,000 fans for a match, setting a new world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event.
• Moment of Emotion:
  • "You're gonna make me cry right now. I mean, it's just unbelievable for women's athletics to do this in Nebraska." (Coach John Cook, 07:01)
• The enthusiasm continued through the championship, with Nebraska’s matches shattering viewership records despite competing with NFL games.

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4. Spanish Women’s Soccer: Triumph and Activism (08:23)

• Spain’s journey to the World Cup title was shadowed by internal strife—players boycotted over abusive conditions and disrespect.
• Winning the World Cup, their victory moment was marred by federation president Luis Rubiales’ non-consensual kiss with player Jenny Hermoso (09:02).
• Notable Quote:
  • "I didn't like it, but what can I do?" (Jenny Hermoso via Josh Hartnett, 09:12)
• Widespread outcry led to mass resignations, a new coach, and symbolic gestures from the team ("It's over" written on their wrists, 10:53).

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5. Comebacks that Defined the Year (11:53)

Brittney Griner’s Return

• After release from Russian detention, Griner urged the media to give sustained attention to the WNBA:
  • "I expect to see the same coverage because we have a great product and you'll see it this summer." (Brittney Griner at press conference, 12:26)
• Her in-game dunks were met with overwhelming joy from fans and broadcasters.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s Redemption

• Richardson, previously barred from the Olympics for cannabis use, won the 100m world title:
  • "It feels like everything that paid off." (Sha’Carri Richardson, 14:09)

Simone Biles Rediscovers Joy

• After stepping away due to the “twisties,” Biles returned to win four gold medals at the World Championships.
• Biles on her comeback:
  • "I had to prove to myself that I could still get out here, twist... As long as I'm out there twisting again, having and finding the joy for gymnastics again, who cares?" (Simone Biles via Tiffany Oshinsky, 15:34)

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6. Rising Stars: The Next Generation (16:02)

• Rose Zhang:
  • At 20, Zhang won her first pro golf event in her debut, a feat not achieved since 1951.
  • "I'm just so thankful to be in this position. It's just been a fairytale ending right now." (Rose Zhang, 16:30)
• Coco Gauff:
  • Captured her first major at the US Open, aged 19, after years in the spotlight.
  • "Honestly, thank you to the people who didn't believe in me... You're really adding gas to it." (Coco Gauff, 17:17)

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7. Passing the Torch and Legacy (17:39)

• The episode closes with reflection on pioneering figures like Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe retiring, set against a backdrop of new athletes ready to shape the future.
• Notable Farewell:
  • "We fought so hard off the field to continue to create more space for ourselves... but hopefully in turn, more space for you guys to be who you are. Thank you so much. And I guess that's it. Love you guys." (Megan Rapinoe, 17:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Women's elite sports will now surpass $1 billion in revenue next year." (Tiffany Oshinsky, 02:53)
• "There were some who felt that the outsized attention the Iowa team was getting had as much to do with how the team looked as how it played." (Anders Kelto, 04:54)
• "You're gonna make me cry right now." (Coach John Cook, 07:01)
• "I didn't like it, but what can I do?" (Jenny Hermoso, 09:12)
• "I expect to see the same coverage because we have a great product and you'll see it this summer." (Brittney Griner, 12:26)
• "It feels like everything that paid off." (Sha’Carri Richardson, 14:09)
• "As long as I'm out there... finding the joy for gymnastics again, who cares?" (Simone Biles, 15:34)
• "Honestly, thank you to the people who didn't believe in me... You're really adding gas to it." (Coco Gauff, 17:17)
• "We fought so hard off the field... more space for you guys to be who you are." (Megan Rapinoe, 17:58)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:28 — Women's sports viewership, sponsorship, and athletic milestones
• 03:58 — NCAA women’s basketball and the Caitlin Clark effect
• 06:26 — Nebraska volleyball smashes attendance records
• 08:23 — Spanish women’s soccer World Cup and the Rubiales scandal
• 11:53 — Brittney Griner’s return
• 13:12 — Sha'Carri Richardson’s world championship
• 14:38 — Simone Biles’ comeback and mental health
• 16:10 — Future stars: Rose Zhang and Coco Gauff
• 17:39 — Passing the torch: Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, and the next generation

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Conclusion

2023 marked a definitive turning point for women’s sports, with barriers broken in visibility, attendance, athletic performance, and advocacy for respect and equality. Female athletes not only defied expectations on the field but also leveraged their platforms for social change and inspired future generations. As some trailblazers pass the torch, a new wave—led by stars like Caitlin Clark, Rose Zhang, and Coco Gauff—is poised to continue the momentum into an even brighter future.

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Transcript

[Jason Concepcion]

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[Shay Serrano]

and welcome to Six Trophies, a podcast hosted by myself and four time New York Times bestselling author Shay Serrano. Each week Shay and I are finding the best of the NBA storylines and then handing out six pop culture themed trophies for six basketball related activities. Listen to six Trophies with Jason Concepcion and Chase Serrano on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Anders Kelto]

A lot of sports stories caught our attention in 2023. There was the Super bowl, which featured two Black quarterbacks squaring off for the first time and two brothers facing each other for the first time. Though I think it's fair to say their mom ultimately stole the show, Jason

[Landon Arts]

will have his family on the field. So no, I won't be on the field for Jason.

[Anders Kelto]

Is that why you're rooting for Travis?

[Sports Commentator]

I didn't say that.

[Josh Hartnett]

Should've got her credentials, Jason. I could have got her credentials.

[Anders Kelto]

Lionel Messi signed a historic deal with Major League Soccer and then proceeded to score a series of unbelievable goals, sending sales of his pink number 10 Miami jersey soaring.

[Sports Commentator]

Messi. Couldn't have been any other way. Magnificent.

[Anders Kelto]

And just this month, the largest free agent frenzy in MLB history finally came to an end.

[Josh Hartnett]

Tonight, Shohei Ohtani is Hollywood's newest superstar. The Japanese born global Sensation Inking a 10 year $700 million, the two decade career earnings of LeBron James and the deal just signed by soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

[Anders Kelto]

But when we stepped back and looked at the year as a whole, there was one story that rose above them all. 2023 was the year of Women's sports.

[Sports Commentator]

Go.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

Spain leaves Carbona in 2023, TV viewership for women's sports skyrocketed. The Women's World cup and WNBA smashed previous viewership records. All kinds of attendance records were broken as well.

[Sports Commentator]

I feel like we're at a rock concert or something. And the fans are fired up tonight. I mean, this is a party.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

And sponsorship money poured into women's sports like never before. According to the consulting firm Deloitte, women's elite sports will now surpass $1 billion in revenue next year, more than three times what Deloitte had predicted in 2021. And to top it all off, we saw some incredible displays of athleticism, like English striker Chloe Kelly hitting a penalty kick that was clocked at just under 70 miles per hour faster than any recorded shot in the men's English Premier League last season.

[Sports Commentator]

Kelly Stoney for England. Chloe Kelly, the England heroine yet again.

[Anders Kelto]

So, looking back at the moments that made 2023 the year of women's sports, and looking forward to what the future might bring from Wondery, I'm Anders Kelto.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

And I'm Tiffany OSHINSKY. It's Friday, December 22nd, and this is the lead.

[Anders Kelto]

One of the earliest signs that 2023 would be a special year for women's sports happened in March when the NCAA basketball tournament kicked off. And right from the start, one team and one player really hogged the spotlight.

[Sports Commentator]

Everybody in the world knows she's going to take you, and she hits it.

[Anders Kelto]

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes captivated the country, with Clark shattering sporting record after scoring record along the way.

[Sports Commentator]

Gets it into Clark. Clark races away. And the mythical mastery of Caitlin Clark continues. Iowa has conquered South Carolina.

[Anders Kelto]

The Hawkeyes marched all over the way to the championship game, where they faced the LSU Tigers and powerful big Angel Reese.

[Sports Commentator]

First team All American. Angel re squeezes it in. Nice move on the baseline, working the smaller Taylor soul.

[Anders Kelto]

The stage was set for an unforgettable fight. We should also mention that there was a racial dynamic at play in the championship game. All five of Iowa's starters were white. All five of LSU's were black. And there were some who felt that the outsized attention the Iowa team was getting had as much to do with how the team looked as how it played. That feeling was then reinforced after LSU beat Iowa 102 to 85, only to have first lady Jill Biden suggest that both teams, LSU and Iowa, should be invited to the White House. LSU star Angel Reese tweeted out Biden's comments and called them, quote, a joke. The White House eventually walked back the suggestion, and only the LSU Tigers went to Washington. But controversies and white House invitations aside, the championship game shattered television viewing records. 9.9 million people tuned in. That's double the number of last year's final. And it became the most watched women's college basketball game ever. According to espn, the game also had the largest television audience for any college sports event ever shown on espn. Despite their loss, Caitlin Clark and Iowa kept their momentum going this summer. They played a game in front of more than 55,000 fans in Iowa's football stadium, the largest crowd to ever watch a women's college basketball game. And as we mentioned in a previous episode of the Lead, Caitlin Clark also received the highest possible honor in Iowa, her likeness carved into butter at the Iowa State Fair.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

Going from butter to world records. The University of Nebraska women's volleyball team set one when they packed their school's football stadium for a game in late August 90, 2003.

[Anders Kelto]

On hand last night for the Huskers volleyball matchup with Omaha, a new world record for a women's sporting event. Everyone taking notice. And I do mean everyone.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

The Cornhuskers went on to beat Omaha. And during an interview, head coach John Cook showed just how much the massive fan turnout meant to him and his players.

[Sports Commentator]

You're gonna make me cry right now. I mean, it's just unbelievable for women's athletics to do this in Nebraska. Kennedy Orr wrote me a note today and said, coach, tonight the impossible will be possible. Louder. We did it.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

But here's the thing. The game did more than just generate headlines for a couple days. It created a level of excitement and interest that carried right through to the end of the season.

[Sports Commentator]

In front of a packed Ambly arena, they were lined up over three hours before this match started. Let's go.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

Nebraska advanced to the national championship game, where they squared off against the defending champion Texas Longhorns. And it was Texas who eventually emerged victorious.

[Sports Commentator]

Just like last year. Back to back on an ace for Texas, your national champions, the Texas.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

This game also shattered TV viewership records. About 1.7 million people tuned in, more than double the number for the final in 2022, making it the most watched women's college volleyball match in history. And the game was played on a Sunday, meaning it was competing against NFL games. It was another milestone for women's sports,

[Anders Kelto]

and there was perhaps no bigger sports story this year, and no story that better showed the struggles and successes of women athletes in 2023 than that of the Spanish women's soccer team. In the buildup to this summer's World cup, more than a dozen players had refused to play for Spain, citing abusive conditions and a culture of disrespect within the team and within the federation. Even with many of its stars sitting out, Spain marched through the tournament. Eventually beating England in the final 1 0. But it was what happened after their victory that captured the world's attention.

[Josh Hartnett]

The Spanish soccer Federation president who kissed a player on the lips after the Women's World cup final, says that he won't resign.

[Anders Kelto]

Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenny Hermoso on the lips of during the team's award ceremony, grabbing both sides of her head and pulling her face to his.

[Josh Hartnett]

He says the kiss was mutual and with consent. On Sunday, Hermosa said in a video, quote, I didn't like it, but what can I do? End quote. This morning, Rubial has claimed that he was the victim of a witch hunt.

[Anders Kelto]

Footage also showed Rubiales celebrating the team's victory in a press box by and I can't believe I'm about to say these words, grabbing his groin and thrusting his pelvis. This was the president of the Spanish Soccer Federation. Spanish politicians and men's soccer stars spoke up on Hermoso's and the team's behalf, but Rubiales angrily refused to step down or apologize. And to top it all off, the team's widely despised head coach, Jorge Vilda, was offered a lucrative new contract. It seemed as though nothing might change for the world championship, but the story had an epilogue. In September, a month after the team's World cup victory, 81 players, essentially the entire women's national team pool, boycotted the team, ignoring financial threats from the federation in the process. The Spanish government got involved, and in the end, seven Spanish soccer officials were forced to resign, including Luis Rubiales. The federation dropped the word women's from the team's official name, and they hired a new female head coach. Not long after that, Spain took the field for the first time since the World Cup. Before they kicked off against Sweden, the starters held up clenched fists, displaying a message written on their wrists. Then the players stepped onto the field and won the game. 3, 2. They also won four of their next five games, outscoring their opponents 27 in the process. And that message that was written on their wrists, it said, c' est a cabo. It's over. Their long battle for respect had finally come to an end.

[Oscar Piastri]

What does it take to go racing in the fastest cars in the world? Oscar Piastri.

[Sports Commentator]

Your head's trying to get ripped one way, your body's trying to go another.

[Oscar Piastri]

Let's stroll.

[Anders Kelto]

It's very extreme in the sense of how close you're racing.

[Oscar Piastri]

Wheel to wheel, we've been given unprecedented access to two of the most famous names in Formula One. McLaren and Aston Martin.

[Landon Arts]

I'm Landon Arts.

[Josh Hartnett]

They build a beautiful bit of machinery that I get to then go and have fun in.

[Oscar Piastri]

They open the doors to their factories as the 2024 season reached its peak. I'm Josh Hartnett. This is F1 back at Bas. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

2023 was also a year of incredible comebacks in women's sports, and none was more memorable or emotional than Brittney Griner's.

[Brittney Griner]

Ooh, a little different. A lot of media in here today.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

In April, five months after being released from a Russian prison, Griner spoke publicly for the first time. And rather than making the event all about herself, she started her press conference by encouraging all of the media members who had shown up to continue shining a light on the wnba.

[Brittney Griner]

I would like to encourage all of you to be at our first game, but the whole entire league as well. You know, from start to finish, I expect to see the same coverage because we have a great product and you'll see it this summer.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

Her team, the Phoenix Mercury, struggled during the season, but Greiner was a bright spot and was selected for the 2023 All Star Game where she was full of smiles as she threw down not one, but two dunks.

[Sports Commentator]

There it is. BG is back.

[Landon Arts]

You said it, Ryan.

[Sports Commentator]

Brittany Griner is back. Coming down, throwing it down. And just as importantly, look at the

[Landon Arts]

fun she is having. The same smile on her face.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

It was a stunning turnaround from what her life had been a year ago. We also saw an incredible comeback in track and field. Sha' Carri Richardson had qualified for the Olympics in the 100 meters two years ago, but was not allowed to compete because she tested positive for cannabis. She later said she had used the drug to cope with anxiety after her biological mother had died. Well, this spring, she represented the US at the World Championships and got her moment of redemption.

[Sports Commentator]

The Jamaicans get out. Well, it's Shericka Jackson, Shelly Ann, Fraser Price, Ta Lou. Here comes sha' Carri Richardson. Sha' Carri's dinner. Sha' Carri Richardson has won the world title.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

And after the race, you could hear both relief and joy in her voice.

[Sha' Carri Richardson]

It's been a lot I've been going through, but to overcome all of that and my work speaking for itself, it feels amazing. It feels like. It feels like everything that paid off.

[Anders Kelto]

Sha', Carri, congratulations.

[Brittney Griner]

You are the world champion.

[Sha' Carri Richardson]

Thank you.

[Landon Arts]

Appreciate it.

[Sha' Carri Richardson]

I'll see you later. Big mama. Mama, bring back the medal.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

And perhaps the most high profile comeback of 2023 came from the woman who is arguably the most dominant athlete of all time.

[Sports Commentator]

Ten years ago, Simone Biles walked into this very building and won her very first world championship medal. And now, with this upcoming routine, she

[Shay Serrano]

has a chance a decade later to

[Sports Commentator]

win what would be her 30th

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

after. Except experiencing the twisties. Simone Biles had stepped away from the sport and focused on her mental health for two years. Many people thought she'd never be back. But she returned to the World Championships in Belgium this fall and won four gold medals, including in the floor routine and balance beam.

[Sha' Carri Richardson]

She is dialed in by hands.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

By hands.

[Landon Arts]

Break full in. Best routine she's done all week by far.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

I mean, that should definitely take the title. And after winning one of those medals, the most decorated gymnast of all time spoke about why she came back and how she deals with the constant scrutiny.

[Sha' Carri Richardson]

I had to prove to myself that I could still get out here, twist. I could prove all the haters wrong. That not a quitter, this, that the other. So for me, it was me. I didn't care. As long as I'm out there twisting again, having and finding the joy for gymnastics again, who cares?

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

Biles hasn't yet said if she'll compete in the Paris Olympics next year. If she does, the 26 year old would become one of the oldest gymnasts to ever represent the U.S.

[Anders Kelto]

okay, we're going to wrap today's episode by looking at two athletes who could represent the future of women's sports.

[Josh Hartnett]

Rosang is here, and she is here to stay.

[Anders Kelto]

The spring Rose zhang won her second straight NCAA Division 1 golf championship. Then in June, at age 20, Zhang played in her first professional tournament and won it, becoming the first woman to do that since 1951.

[Landon Arts]

This has been surreal. Still is surreal. It hasn't sunk in yet. This is my professional debut, as everyone knows. And I was just thinking about scrambling to make the cut. I'm just so thankful to be in this position. It's just been a fairytale ending right now.

[Anders Kelto]

And speaking of fairy tale endings, we saw another one of those in New York a few months ago.

[Sports Commentator]

Get up, Coco Gauff. You've just won the US Open.

[Anders Kelto]

Tennis star Coco Gauff, who had exploded onto the scene four years ago at age 15, won her first major tournament this fall, capturing the U.S. open at age 19. After winning, she fell to her knees and burst into tears. And then she had a message for the many people who she felt had written her off.

[Landon Arts]

Honestly, thank you to the people who didn't believe in me, those who thought who were putting water on my fire. You're really adding gas to it. And now I'm really burning so bright right now. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2023 US Open

[Sports Commentator]

women's singles champion, Coco Golf.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

And so, at a time when some iconic female athletes are leaving their sport, like Serena Williams last year and Megan Rapinoe this year, there's a generation of young women ready to inherit the mantle and to compete in a world that has been made better by the pioneering women who came before them.

[Landon Arts]

We fought so hard off the field to continue to create more space for ourselves to be who we are, but hopefully in turn, more space for you guys to be who you are. Thank you so much. And I guess that's it. Love you guys.

[Anders Kelto]

Thanks for listening today. This episode was written and produced by me, Anders Kelto. Audio assembly and editing by Daniel Gonzalez. Sound design and mixing by Aaron May. Fact checking by Ian Hurley.

[Tiffany Oshinsky]

The rest of our team includes Matt Stroup, Adrian Tapia and Matt Beagle. The lead is executive produced by Dave Easton, Marshall Louie and Erin o' Flaherty for Wondery. Thanks again for listening and have a Great rest of 2023, the year of women's.