Black Female Athletes You Should Be Watching

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Women’s athletics is having a moment. Despite all of the backlash Angel Reese and her teammates have been receiving for beating Iowa in the women’s college basketball national championship, it’s a sign that people care about women’s sports in a way they did not previously.

The game between the two talented squads became the most viewed women’s college basketball game on record.

Despite the negativity, people are finally starting to realize that women’s sports can be just as entertaining as men’s sports. If you’re looking for some superstar black female athletes, here are some you should be paying attention to.

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Angel Reese

Despite people trying to label Angel Reese as a “classless” player, she’s nothing of the sort. She’s among the most dominant players in the country and this past season was named a first-team All-America, the NCAA tournament most outstanding player (MOP) and an NCAA Champion. LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal just named Reese the greatest athlete the university has ever produced, so no wonder she’s on this list.

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Flau’jae Johnson

Angel’s teammate, Flau’jae Johnson is not just a talented hooper, she’s also a successful rapper. She went viral last year for a dope freestyle she had on Bars On I-95 and veteran Louisiana rapper Lil Wayne shared his plans to do a song with the star basketball player.

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Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka has been a prodigy ever since she stepped on a professional tennis court. Despite being only 25 years old, she’s already won four majors, (two Australian Opens and two US Opens) and is the highest-paid female athlete in the world.

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Azzi Fudd

Azzi Fudd is a young college basketball player who just keeps getting better. Coming out of high school, she was the number one ranked player in the country and opted to go to the most storied women’s basketball program in the country, UCONN. During her freshman year, she helped lead her team to the 2022 Final Four.

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Simone Biles

What can Simone Biles not do? She’s the most accomplished professional gymnast in the world. During the 2022 Olympics, she took a stand for athletes with mental health issues after she took a break during the games to focus on herself.

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A’Ja Wilson

A’Ja Wilson has succeeded on every level of her basketball career. She was the number one ranked player coming out of high school. While at South Carolina, she was a national champion, NCAA tournament MOP, national player of the year and a three-time first-team All-American. In 2018, she was drafted first overall in the WNBA draft and has since been named a WNBA champion, two-time MVP, a four-time all-star, a defensive player of the year and rookie of the year. At only 26 years old, she has so much more to accomplish.

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Aaliyah Boston

Following in A’Ja Wilson’s footsteps, Aaliyah Boston is also a star college athlete at the University of South Carolina. She’s a national champion, NCAA tournament MOP, national player of the year and a three-time first-team All-American. She also helped lead the Gamecocks to the Final Four in 2023 and a 42-game win streak going back to the 2022 season.

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Coco Gauff

The youngest lady on this list, Coco Gauff is only 19 years old and is already making waves in professional tennis. Although she hasn’t taken home a major yet, she’s upset some of the best players in the world, including five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams at the age of 15!

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Elaine Thompson-Herah

Usain Bolt ain’t the only successful Jamaican sprinter. The fastest woman in the history of the Olympics, Elaine Thompson-Herah set the Olympic record in the Women’s 100 Meters during the Summer Olympics in 2021. She edged out Florence Griffith Joyner’s long-standing record of 10.62 with a time of 10.61.

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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Before Thompson-Herah set the Olympic record in the women’s 100 meters, fellow Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran the fastest time in nearly 33 years: 10.63 during an even in June 2021.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone is also a track and field star who is among the fastest in the world. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won two gold medals, one in the 400-meter hurdles and another in the 4x400-meter relay. She also set the world record in the 400-meter hurdles in 2022, clocking a time of 50.68.

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Candace Parker

Candace Parker is a basketball legend who’s been the best at every level of her career. As a rookie in the WNBA, she won the WNBA MVP and the Rookie of the Year award. In 2021, she cemented her status as a Hall of Famer after leading her hometown team, the Chicago Sky, to their first-ever WNBA championship.

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Brittney Griner

Thankfully, Britney Griner is back home after spending more than 100 days in a Russian prison during most of 2022. People may have forgotten, but Griner is an imposing physical presence in the WNBA. She’s an eight-time all-star and a WNBA champion.

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Elana Meyers Taylor

I know some of us don’t pay attention to the Winter Olympics, but you might want to start, in order to watch bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor do her thing. During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Taylor became the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history after taking home her fifth medal.

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Erin Jackson

Along with being a brilliant athlete, Erin Jackson also has a degree in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Florida. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the talented speed skater won gold in the 500 meter.

Black Female Athletes You Should Watch and Know!

Angel Reese, Naomi Osaka and Erin Jackson are among the best athletes in the world.

Angel Reese

Angel Reese

Flau’jae Johnson

Flau’jae Johnson

Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka

Azzi Fudd

Azzi Fudd

Simone Biles

Simone Biles

A’Ja Wilson

A’Ja Wilson

Aaliyah Boston

Aaliyah Boston

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff

Elaine Thompson-Herah

Elaine Thompson-Herah

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Candace Parker

Candace Parker

Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner

Elana Meyers Taylor

Elana Meyers Taylor

Erin Jackson

Erin Jackson