\ud83c\udfc0 WNBA: Signed, sealed, delivered<\/h3>\n
Where else to start but the WNBA? <\/strong>As the Black women of the W continue to lead on and<\/em> off the court, let\u2019s look back at the league\u2019s earliest signees.<\/p>\n In 1996, Sheryl Swoopes signed with the Houston Comets<\/strong>, becoming the first woman to ink a WNBA contract. Swoopes then led the Comets to the league\u2019s first-ever championship (and the next three after that!).<\/p>\n Lisa Leslie, a fellow member of the WNBA\u2019s <\/strong>inaugural signing trio<\/strong><\/a>, also revolutionized the sport. On the court, Leslie\u2019s long list of accomplishments includes being the first player to dunk<\/a> in a WNBA game, winning three league MVP titles and two championships.<\/p>\n With icons like these laying the foundation, <\/strong>it\u2019s no wonder the Black women of the WNBA (nearly 80% of W hoopers) are the<\/em> blueprint. From the league\u2019s historic 2020 collective bargaining agreement<\/a> to flipping the U.S. Senate in 2021<\/a>, where would we be without the WNBA?<\/p>\n SOURCE: TRANSCENDENTAL GRAPHICS\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n In 1949, Toni Stone made her pro baseball debut <\/strong>with the San Francisco Sea Lions of the West Coast Negro Baseball League. By 1953, Stone joined the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League, replacing none other than baseball legend Henry \u201cHank\u201d Aaron<\/a> at second base.<\/p>\n Outside of the majors,<\/strong> Mo\u2019ne Davis captivated the sports world<\/a> in 2014 when she became the first Black girl to compete in the Little League World Series (LLWS) and the first girl to ever earn a win and <\/em>throw a shutout at the LLWS.<\/p>\n The coaching box isn\u2019t exempt from shattered glass, either. <\/strong>In 2021, Bianca Smith became the first Black woman to coach in the pro game, working with position players in the Boston Red Sox minor league system. Home runs all around.<\/p>\n SOURCE: NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n When it comes to hockey firsts, Blake Bolden leads the way on both sides of the glass. <\/strong>After graduating from Boston College, where she took the Eagles to three NCAA Frozen Four<\/a> appearances, Bolden was selected fifth overall by the Boston Blades in the 2013 CWHL<\/a> draft, becoming the first Black player to be selected in the first round.<\/p>\n With Bolden paving the way, <\/strong>there have been several hockey firsts for Black women in recent years. Team Canada\u2019s Sarah Nurse became the first Black woman to win Olympic hockey gold at the 2022 Beijing Games, while Buffalo Beauts star Mikyla Grant-Mentis signed the then largest contract in PHF history<\/a> last summer.<\/p>\n SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Goalkeeper Briana Scurry is perhaps best known for anchoring the USWNT<\/strong> to their historic 1999 World Cup title.<\/strong> Scurry competed in three Olympic Games over her impressive career, leading the USWNT to two gold medals. In 2017, she became the first Black woman elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and <\/em>the first female goalie ever chosen for the Hall.<\/p>\n As for the next generation, <\/strong>the USWNT boasts more incredible Black women<\/a> on its roster than ever before, with standouts like Crystal Dunn, Alana Cook, Naomi Girma and Mallory Swanson making star turns.<\/p>\n\n
\u26be\ufe0f Baseball: Dazzling on the diamond<\/h3>\n
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\ud83c\udfd2 Hockey: Boldly breaking barriers<\/h3>\n
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\u26bd\ufe0f Soccer: Kicking down the door<\/h3>\n
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