What's The Latest In Women's Sports? Here's What's Caught My Attention Lately.

1. Ilona Maher Joins the Premiership Women's Rugby with Bristol Bears

US rugby sensation Ilona Maher has officially signed with the English Premiership Women's Rugby team, Bristol Bears. The 28-year-old, who is the most followed rugby player globally with over seven million social media followers, brings a wealth of talent and experience to the team. A bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Maher is now setting her sights on the 2025 Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in England. Her presence in the Premiership is expected to boost the profile of women’s rugby in both the UK and internationally.

2. Phyllis O'Donnell Honoured at Gold Coast Paddle Out

Phyllis O'Donnell, the first woman to win a world surfing title, was recently honored at a special paddle out ceremony in the Gold Coast, Australia. O'Donnell made history in 1964 by winning the inaugural Women's World Surfing Championship at Manly Beach in Sydney. After stepping away from professional surfing in 1972, O'Donell turned her focus to advocacy for female surfers. In 1983, she spearheaded a movement to establish the Women's Surfing Association, a group that broke away from Surfing Australia and pushed for better competition conditions for women. Though the association dissolved, O'Donnell's efforts led to lasting changes in the sport.

3. Women's Wrestling Moves Closer to NCAA Championship Status

Earlier this year, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics took a major step toward making women's wrestling the 91st NCAA championship sport. The committee voted to recommend that Divisions I, II, and III sponsor legislation to establish a national collegiate women's wrestling championship, which could take place as early as winter 2026. This milestone follows significant efforts by USA Wrestling and the men's wrestling community to support and grow the sport for women. "We are excited to recommend women's wrestling as the 91st NCAA championship sport," said Ragean Hill, chair of the Committee on Women's Athletics.

4. Pittsburgh Panthers Poised for NCAA Women’s Volleyball Glory

The NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament is gearing up, with the Pittsburgh Panthers entering the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. With an impressive 29-1 record, including a 19-1 performance in the ACC, Pitt has reached the Final Four for the past three years, though they have yet to capture a championship. This year, the Panthers aim to bring home the ACC’s first-ever national title in volleyball. Other No. 1 seeds include Big Ten co-champions Nebraska and Penn State, along with fellow ACC powerhouse Louisville. All matches leading up to the national semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN networks, with the championship match airing live on ABC at 3 p.m. ET on December 22.

5. Flag Football Sees Growth Ahead of 2028 Olympics

With flag football set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, women’s and girls' flag football programs are expanding rapidly at the collegiate and high school levels. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which made women’s flag football a sanctioned sport in 2020, saw 22 schools participating during the 2023-2024 season. Additionally, at least 28 U.S. states have either sanctioned girls' high school flag football or are in the process of rolling out pilot programs. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), nearly 500,000 girls ages 6-17 played flag football in 2023, marking a 63% increase since 2019. This rapid growth highlights the increasing popularity of the sport as it prepares to take the global stage in 2028.