• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

American Gold Sports Alliance

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Media
    • Featured News
    • Diversity and Inclusion Committee
    • Youth Advisory Committee
    • Wrestling for Gold Initiative
  • Raffles
  • Radiosport
  • Try Cricket
  • Athlete of the Month
  • Camps
  • Join Our Team
    • Richard Montgomery Wrestling
    • Richard Montgomery Girls Lacrosse
  • Donate
    • Giving Tuesday
  • Contact Us

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

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

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

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: 

JOHN BYRUM/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES

1. RHYNE HOWARD

Rhyne Howard has been a basketball player to watch since she was named Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018, ahead of her breakout rookie season at the University of Kentucky. Now a junior, Howard is solidifying herself as a top contender for the No. 1 WNBA draft pick, averaging 20 points on the season. With a March Madness run and a professional debut on the horizon, 2022 may be Howard’s year to break onto the mainstage.

EMILEE CHINN/GETTY IMAGES

2. CATARINA MACARIO

Catarina Macario is quickly becoming a household name, racking up 12 caps with the United States Women’s National Team and lighting up the pitch with her French club Olympique Lyonnais. As the USWNT gear up for the 2023 World Cup, Macario is a favorite to lead the squad’s next generation of young talent.

RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES

3. CARISSA MOORE

Carissa Moore burst onto the scene in 2021, capturing gold in surfing at the Tokyo Olympics. The 29-year-old has been dominating the sport for quite some time now, but with a new, integrated World Surf League schedule in 2022, Moore has an opportunity to ascend to new heights.

ADAM PRETTY / GETTY IMAGES

4. COCO GAUFF

Coco Gauff had a stellar 2021 WTA season, especially considering the tennis prodigy is still just 17 years old. Finishing the year ranked 22nd and making a quarterfinal run at the French Open, Gauff has set herself up for a breakthrough 2022.

ALAIN GROSCLAUDE/AGENCE ZOOM/GETTY IMAGES

5. MIKAELA SHIFFRIN

Mikaela Shiffrin has already ascended to the top of her sport, earning three medals, including two gold, in alpine skiing. Now, the American is looking to make history at the Beijing Olympics, hoping to race in all five ski racing events. She enters the Games with a series of World Cup wins, and is actively shattering skiing records on her way to China.

MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES

6. JIN YOUNG KO

Jin Young Ko had a storybook 2021, winning the LPGA finale in November and clinching the Player of the Year award. Can the 26-year-old follow up her banner year in 2022, and what will that mean for her burgeoning rivalry with Nelly Korda?

MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES

7. NELLY KORDA

Nelly Korda made history in 2021, becoming the first golfer to win an Olympic gold medal and a major championship in the same year. The 23-year-old American traded places as the world No. 1 with Ko for most of last year, and if the rivalry persists into 2022, golf fans are in for a treat.

ELSA/GETTY IMAGES

8. ALIYAH BOSTON

Aliyah Boston is lighting up the floor for the South Carolina women’s basketball team, averaging 16.8 points and nine rebounds per game on the season. After coming up short last year, the Gamecocks and Boston are heavy favorites to win the title in 2022.

JAMIE SCHWABEROW/NCAA PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

9. JAELIN HOWELL

Jaelin Howell ended her career with Florida State on a high, leading her team to the 2021 College Cup title. The 22-year-old has already made 19 appearances with the USWNT and is a heavy favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NWSL Draft, should she decide to stay in America rather than decamp to Europe. Making her professional debut, Howell is poised to have a breakout year as a future star of the USWNT.

TPN/GETTY IMAGES

10. EMMA RADUCANU

Emma Raducanu emerged from obscurity to take the tennis world by storm, winning the US Open at just 18 years old. After becoming the first qualifier to capture the Grand Slam, all eyes are now on Raducanu to follow up her breakout year with another.

XIN LI/GETTY IMAGES

11. CHLOE KIM

Chloe Kim captured national attention when she won gold in the snowboard halfpipe at just 17 years old during the 2018 Winter Olympics. Now 21 years old, Kim is hoping to defend her Olympic championship in Beijing. The California native has a chance to cement her legacy as a snowboarding legend with the 2022 Olympics in February.

JESSE LOUIE / JUST WOMEN’S SPORTS

12. BETNIJAH LANEY

Most WNBA fans know Betnijah Laney by now, with the 28-year-old entering the league in 2015. The 2021 season, however, was Laney’s most comprehensive yet, as she averaged 16.8 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. With the New York Liberty coming into their own, Laney could be poised to mount an MVP campaign in 2022.

JAMIE SCHWABEROW/NCAA PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

13. KELSEY TURNBOW

Kelsey Turnbow is going pro after an impressive career at Santa Clara, which included a National Championship last season and College Cup semifinal run this year. Selected 18th overall by the Chicago Red Stars in the 2021 Draft, Turnbow will make her NWSL debut with San Diego Wave after being traded to the expansion club in November.

DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES

14. ABBY ROQUE

Abby Roque is set to make her Olympic debut with Team USA in Beijing after an impressive collegiate hockey career at the University of Wisconsin. The 24-year-old will look to lead the U.S to their second-consecutive gold medal come February.

CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES

15. JAMIE CHADWICK

Jamie Chadwick has already solidified herself as a racing superstar, winning back-to-back W series championships. As a development driver on the Williams Formula One team, the 23-year-old is poised to break racing barriers in 2022.

VIANNEY THIBAUT/NORDICFOCUS/GETTY

16. JESSIE DIGGINS

Jessie Diggins made history in 2018 when she and teammate Kikkan Randall clinched the United States’ first-ever cross-country gold medal at the Pyeongchang Games. Racing in all six cross-country events, Diggins will look to add to her medal haul in Beijing, cementing her place in the sport’s history.

JANE GERSHOVICH/ISI PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES

17. SOFIA HUERTA

Sofia Huerta has been a star in the NWSL since she was drafted to the Chicago Red Stars in 2015, but 2021 seemed like something of a renaissance for the 28-year-old. Moving to the outside back position, Huerta anchored a successful OL Reign team, notching six assists during the season. Huerta ended the year by fielding a compelling performance during the USWNT’s Australia friendlies, setting herself up for a potential landmark 2022.

HECTOR VIVAS/GETTY IMAGES FOR WTA

18. PAULA BADOSA

Paula Badosa cracked the top ten world tennis rankings during the 2021 season, ending the year at No. 8, a career-high. The 24-year-old also had her best Grand Slam result to date this season, making a quarterfinal run at Roland Garros. Will 2022 bring Badosa her first Grand Slam victory?

ATSUSHI TOMURA INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION/INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION VIA GETTY IMAGES

19. ALYSA LIU

Alysa Liu will make her Olympic debut in February, less than a year after her inaugural senior international appearance. At 16 years old, Liu represents the next generation of American figure skating and will compete for a place on the podium in Beijing.

EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

20. JAMIE ANDERSON

Jamie Anderson is another athlete to watch at the Winter Olympics, with the 31-year-old poised to make history. After winning back-to-back slopestyle gold medals, and a silver medal in big air in 2018, Anderson could become the first snowboarder, male or female, to earn five total Olympic medals at the Beijing Games.

Filed Under: Athlete Spotlight, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lacrosse, Olympics, Paralympics, Racing, Running, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Team USA, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Women in Sports, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Hockey, Women's Soccer, Women's Sports, Women's Tennis, Women's Wrestling

Primary Sidebar

Donate Here!

Categories

Featured Posts

Introducing the Vulcan Pickleball Line in Support of the AGSA!

… [Read More...] about Introducing the Vulcan Pickleball Line in Support of the AGSA!

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Names WNBA Trio to Class of 2025

… [Read More...] about Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Names WNBA Trio to Class of 2025

2026 Expansion Team Denver Breaks NWSL Ticket Sales Record

… [Read More...] about 2026 Expansion Team Denver Breaks NWSL Ticket Sales Record

Archives

  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • February 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Raffles
  • Radiosport
  • Try Cricket
  • Athlete of the Month
  • Camps
  • Join Our Team
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 American Gold Sports Alliance Inc.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy