Archives for December 2021

CHICO STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH REACHES HISTORIC MILESTONE IN CAREER

December 27, 2021 by Tara S

by: Chase Napear | ABC Action News Now

Coach Brian Fogel secured his 200th career win after the women’s basketball team defeated Cal Poly Pomona.

CHICO, Calif. – A Chico State coach has reached a historic milestone. Over the weekend, the Chico State Women’s Basketball team defeated Cal Poly Pomona, marking Coach Brian Fogel’s 200th career win.

Now, Coach Fogel only trails the legendary Fran Coslet as the winningest coach in the program’s history with 286 victories.

During his time at Chico State, Fogel has many accomplishments including a CCAA Title, nine postseason appearances, and four NCAA Championships. But players say his impact on the team goes much farther than the court.

“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had to be honest. I feel like I can talk to him about anything, not just basketball-related. Outside of basketball, he’s very open and very easy to talk to,” Myli Martinez said.

“As far as the accomplishment I’m very proud of that. I think the most important thing for me the way I look at it is I’ve surrounded myself with really good people. It starts with the players. Players win games. The other thing I’m proud of is the fact I’ve hired some really good assistant coaches,” Coach Fogel said.

Coach Fogel will look for win 201 this Saturday as the Wildcats host Sonoma State.

CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead in sports.

With the Winter Olympics in February, March Madness on the calendar and a landmark NWSL season to come, women’s sports fans are in store for an exciting year.

Here are the 20 athletes to know or get reacquainted with in 2022:

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AMÉLIE MAURESMO NAMED FRENCH OPEN’S FIRST WOMAN TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

by: CLARE BRENNAN | Just Women’s Sports

Former world No. 1 tennis player Amélie Mauresmo was appointed as Roland Garros’ tournament director on Thursday.

Mauresmo is the first woman to serve as the French Open’s director, replacing Guy Forget, who held the role since 2016.

“I have accepted the position of Tournament Director with clear ambitions,” Mauresmo said in a statement from Roland Garros. “I will carry them out with the same high standards, freedom and passion that have always driven me.”

The 42-year-old’s career highlights include a 2006 Australian Open title and Wimbledon championship before retiring in 2009. The French star followed up her playing career with a high-profile coaching job for British tennis icon Andy Murray.

Mauresmo was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.

EMMA RADUCANU NAMED 2021 BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

BY: EMMA HRUBY | just women’s sports

Emma Raducanu has been named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2021 after a breakout year that saw her win the US Open.

At just 18 years old, Raducanu ended Britain’s 44-year title drought in women’s Grand Slam singles, while also becoming the first qualifier to win at the US Open. The youngest British player to win a Grand Slam, she also was the youngest women’s Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004.

Raducanu accepted the award from the BBC over video after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event. She’s set to compete in the Australian Open next month.

“It’s such an honour just to be among these nominees. Congrats to you and all your achievements,” Raducanu said in her awards speech. “I’m really happy with this, I’ve watched Sports Personality of the Year growing up and it’s an honour to be among those past winners. I’m happy for British tennis as well, and that we’ve managed to get this award… again!

“Thanks to all the fans and voters, this year has been insane. The energy this year playing at Wimbledon in front of my home crowd, that was something I’ve never felt before.”

In addition to her US Open win, Raducanu made a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon in July in what was her Grand Slam main draw debut.

Last week, three-time winner of the award Andy Murray said that Raducanu deserved to win the award, adding that he didn’t think “anyone would be too surprised if that is the outcome.”

Murray was the last tennis player to win the award in 2016.

Raducanu is the first female to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year since Zara Phillips (now Tindall) won it in 2006.

2021 Sport 4 Life Grants Serve Girls of Color in 23 States, Expanding into the Native American Community

December 14, 2021 by Tara S

FOUNDING PARTNER ESPNW, ALONGSIDE MORGAN STANLEY, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY AND THE KATIE & PERRIE FUND, JOIN WOMEN’S SPORTS FOUNDATION IN EXPANDING THIS IMPACTFUL INITIATIVE

New York, NY (October 27, 2021) – The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) announced the 2021 grant recipients of the Sports 4 Life program, a national initiative to increase sport participation and retention of African American and Hispanic girls, and now Native American girls as well. A total of $294,000 has been awarded to 42 organizations across 23 states, including Washington, D.C., helping to fuel and diversify sports opportunities expected to serve nearly 8,000 across 31 traditional and non-traditional sports.

Sports 4 Life was co-founded by WSF and espnW in 2014 based on the knowledge that while sports participation offers tremendous life-long benefits – from improved physical health and self-esteem, to better grades in school and enhanced leadership skills – girls of color are disproportionately excluded. The program seeks to close the gap by strengthening and expanding the opportunities for sports participation available to young girls of color. With the knowledge that Native American youth are disproportionately impacted by poverty, inadequate healthcare, along with a higher risk of obesity, WSF has expanded Sports 4 Life to serve Native American girls, including American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Additional funding provided by Morgan Stanley, The Walt Disney Company and the Katie & Perrie Fund is allowing Sports 4 Life to support 42 organizations this year, which will reach 7,898 girls — 87% of whom identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Native American.

“The Women’s Sports Foundation believes that all girls – regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ability, zip code or family income – deserve equal access to the lifelong, transformative benefit of sports,” said Deborah Antoine, CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation. “We are proud of the Sports 4 Life initiative, its enduring impact, and our expansive reach to include Native American girls. We are so grateful for our partnership legacy with espnW, and our shared imperative to positively impact the lives of girls across the country.”

Sports 4 Life supports programs that help girls in four foundational areas – leadership, confidence, self-esteem, and perseverance – fostering girls’ physical and emotional health and academic success. Later this month, WSF will be rolling out a new discussion guide focused on developing girls’ confidence and supplementing last year’s guide on leadership.

“At ESPN, we believe that we all have a very important role to play in creating a more inclusive and equitable society,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of Corporate Citizenship at ESPN. “Sports has the ability to transform lives, and we are proud that with the Women’s Sports Foundation, our funding through Sports 4 Life is continuing to foster strong recruitment, engagement and retention of girls of color participating in sports.”

The Sports 4 Life initiative strengthens and expands sport participation opportunities for young girls of color through its grant making, leadership training and capacity-building efforts. Since its inception, the initiative has funded 170 organizations across 35 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing $1.7 Million in grants to 69,000 girls participating in 34 sports. Half of the girls reached by Sports 4 Life programming were not previously participating in sports with regularity, and nearly all girls were interested in continuing sports after participating in Sports 4 Life funded programming.

Learn more and meet our 2021 grant recipients here.

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Puma Has Its First Women’s Basketball Collection

December 14, 2021 by Tara S

By Devine Blacksher

“Every other sports brand is taking a male-centric approach,” says author, costume designer, stylist, and #Rockmom June Ambrose while explaining the vision behind Puma’s first women’s basketball collection. “They’re keeping it safe with mesh shorts and tank tops. My whole entire career has been about taking risks, tapping into my authentic intelligence to make decisions for a consumer who I want to see imagining themselves outside of themself. You can’t do that without trying on things that scare you a little bit.”Court Appearances A newsletter by New York‘s Choire Sicha, covering the Ghislaine Maxwell trial.

In 2020, Ambrose joined Puma as the creative director of womenswear for the brand’s basketball category, Puma Hoops. She focused on transforming the women’s basketball collection into gear that can be worn while training or while meeting your friends for a cozy Sunday brunch. With her hand in everything from design to creative, Ambrose set out to add personal flair to the brand’s apparel, accessories, and footwear by reinventing what women’s basketball wear can look like.

Take professional athletes like Serena Williams, Elizabeth Cambage, and Ashlyn Harris — they all have a personal style they sport on and off the field or court. For Ambrose, it was important to create a collection with women of all ages, body types, and identities in mind, while acknowledging the history of women being unseen and unheard in professional, and even recreational, sports.

The Puma High Court collection is a first for the brand; in the past, the women’s basketball category simply looked like the men’s but in smaller sizes. The new collection was designed to celebrate the contributions, fearlessness, and boldness of all the women of Puma. The visuals for the campaign were directed by Hype Williams and feature WNBA stars Skylar Diggins-Smith, Breanna Stewart, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Jackie Young.

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