Women’s professional sports are experiencing unprecedented momentum—but the journey began generations before the arrival of the WNBA, the PWHL or today’s global women’s soccer stars.

In this season finale of More Than Just a Score, we explore the history and rise of women’s sports, from athletes who competed with little money or recognition to the modern stars filling arenas and attracting worldwide audiences.

Discover how Billie Jean King changed tennis on and off the court, why Title IX transformed athletic opportunities for girls and women in the United States, and how pioneers such as Toni Stone, Manon Rhéaume, Janet Guthrie, Danica Patrick, Annika Sörenstam and Michelle Wie crossed traditional gender boundaries.

We also examine:

• The creation of the FIFA Women’s World Cup
• The growth of professional women’s soccer
• The Olympic rise of women’s ice hockey
• The creation and expansion of the PWHL
• The history and development of the WNBA
• The Caitlin Clark effect on basketball audiences
• Women coaching and working in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and global soccer
• The future of investment, media coverage and equality in women’s sports

From Billie Jean King’s Battle of the Sexes to Brandi Chastain’s famous World Cup penalty, the launch of the WNBA and the arrival of the PWHL, this is the story of athletes who refused to accept that sports belonged only to men.

The rise of women’s sports is more than a passing moment. It is a transformation of the global sports industry.

Listen to the full episode and tell us in the comments:

Which athlete or moment had the greatest impact on the growth of women’s sports?

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Credit: Billie Jean King Enterprises, ABC/ESPN, Women's Sports Foundation, US Department of Education, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), FIFA, International Olympic Committee (IOC), PWHL, WNBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Bundesliga,

The Open Championship is golf’s oldest major—a tournament shaped by Scottish linksland, unpredictable weather, historic champions and more than 160 years of triumph and heartbreak.

This episode traces golf’s development in Great Britain, the first Open at Prestwick in 1860 and the creation of the Claret Jug. It also explores legendary champions such as Old Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods; unforgettable moments including the Duel in the Sun and Jean van de Velde’s collapse; and the controversies that forced The Open to balance tradition with change.

Credit: The Royal and Ancient (R&A), Historic Environment Scotland, USGA, The Open, ESPN/ABC, TNT

The FIFA World Cup is more than a tournament. It is a global tradition, a cultural force and the biggest stage in international football. In this episode of More Than Just A Score, we trace the origins and history of the World Cup from Jules Rimet’s vision to Uruguay 1930, the rise of Brazil, the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy, the modern FIFA World Cup Trophy, major controversies, odd facts and the tournament’s lasting global impact.

With World Cup 2026 coming to Canada, Mexico and the United States, we look at how football’s greatest prize became one of the most powerful sporting events on earth.

Sources: FIFA, PBS, The Associated Press