It’s no secret that lesbians dominate at sports. Who can blame us? We’re just that good. But with so many sports and so many teams containing so many lesbians, it can be hard to keep track of them all. Luckily for you, we have a short list of sports lesbians to get you started.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg and doesn’t include some big names like Abby Wambach. There are plenty more lesbians across all sports. But what is it that attracts us to sports? Maybe it isn’t so much that lesbians are just more inclined to physical activity, but rather that we’re more inclined to activities that allow us to be unabashedly strong, skilled, and powerful.
Team sports like basketball and soccer have groups of women working towards a common goal. And once that goal is met, us the viewers are treated to displays of female camaraderie, while individual sports allow us to see just how much one woman can accomplish. Or maybe it’s because we all thirst after athletes. Either way, lesbians in sports are killing it. They’re not stopping anytime soon. And just like two-time world champ Megan Rapinoe said, “You can’t win championships without gays.”
Boxing Ann Wolfe Many people might know Ann Wolfe for her role in Wonder Woman as a character named after a legendary lesbian, Artemis. But Ann is a legend in her own right. The now-retired boxer held titles in three different weight classes… Simultaneously. Of her 25 fights, she had 24 wins, 16 of which were won by knockout. With these stats is it any wonder she’s regarded as possibly the greatest fighter in the history of women’s boxing? Her accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. In 2015, she was inducted into the Women’s International Boxing Hall of Fame. Artemis herself would be proud.
Irene Fiolek Canadian boxer Irene Fioleck might just be on her way to reaching Wolfe’s level of notoriety in the boxing world. That may seem like a bold claim, but Fiolek has been racking up the Ws. She’s won gold in the 2019 Copa Independencia, the 2018 Defi Des Championship, the 2017 Gants Dores, and she was the 2018 Canadian Champion. Most recently, she won bronze in the Pan-American Championships. She’s just getting started. With the 2020 Olympics just around the corner, expect her to be chasing gold in Tokyo.
Basketball Brittney Griner As one of the tallest players ever to play in the WNBA, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner is hard to miss. Not just because of her height, but because of her sheer skill on the court. In 2014, she helped the Mercury win the WNBA championships. But that was just the start for the six-time All Star. She went on to win an Olympic gold medal in Rio. The following year, she became the 2017 scoring champion. But before all this, Griner publicly came out as a lesbian in a Sports Illustrated interview. Don’t be surprised to see her on the US women’s national basketball team next year.
Elena Delle Donne Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne was 2013’s rookie of the year. That was just the beginning. She’s since become a six-time All Star and the fastest player to score 3,000 points. In 2015, she was the WNBA MVP. And the following year, she won Olympic gold. Delle Donne celebrated the win the best way possible. In November 2017, she married long-time girlfriend Amanda Clifton.
Soccer Marta Madonna. Cher. Pele. Chances are if you only go by one name, you need no introduction. And Marta needs no introduction. She is without a doubt the absolute GOAT of soccer. You might be wondering if I can back up such a bold claim. I sure can. This past summer, the Orlando Pride forward broke the record for the most goals scored at a World Cup with 17. She’s scored in five World Cups total. On top of that, she’s a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year recipient. Five of those times were consecutive wins. While Marta may have played her last World Cup, she has firmly set her status as an icon as a footballer.
Magdalena Eriksson Swedish National Team defender Magdalena Eriksson has had a pretty successful past few years. In 2016 she and the rest of the Swedes won silver at the Olympics. This past summer, they snagged a bronze medal at the World Cup. Eriksson has never been one to hide her relationship with Danish player Pernille Harder. In fact, the couple became part of the Common Goal program. They’ve both pledged 1% of their earnings to help fund organizations that help others with the power of football. They hope to make soccer a more welcoming place for gays and lesbians.
FRESNO, CA – DECEMBER 06: Liz Carmouche poses for a portrait during a UFC photo session on December 6, 2017 in Fresno, California. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) MMA Amanda Nunes Brazilian fighter Amanda Nunes is currently the reigning bantamweight and featherweight champion. But the lesbian greatness continues. Nunes became the first woman in UFC history to become a two-time division champion and hold two titles simultaneously. Nunes’ girlfriend is fellow fighter Nina Ansaroff. In fact, she credits her success to their relationship. You know what they say, the couple that fights together, stays together.
Liz Carmouche American fighter Liz Carmouche made history as one of the women to compete in the first ever women’s MMA match. In addition to that, she was the first only lesbian fighter in the UFC. Her openness and willingness to publicly come out surely paved the way for other lesbian fighters. In 2010, she was named WMMA Press Awards Newcomer of the Year. As of April, she is ranked third in the UFC flyweight rankings.
