Caitlin Clark, Trinity Rodman, Among 5 Athletes Powering Women’s Sports into the Stratosphere

There was a time when interest in women’s sports was restricted to one or two disciplines at most. Now, with the likes of Caitlin Clark and a few others leading the charge, it seems they are about to either match or overtake their male counterparts.

As much as fans of women’s sports would want, they are still a long way off from matching the men in viewership ratings, revenue, and entertainment value.

Even then, the tide is turning from a time when women had to deal with obscurity, as men often hogged the limelight. It has come to a point where Caitlin Clark, for instance, has been recommended to become the ‘face of basketball.’

Sure, she may not have the accomplishments of a Serena Williams or a Katie Ledecky, but what the WNBA superstar and a few others like her are doing is to elevate the sport to a point where they are forcing fans and the media to talk about them.

Caitlin Clark – Indiana Fever – WNBA

There are many sports where women have been vastly successful, but women’s basketball was not spoken of in the same breath as, say, tennis, soccer, or even golf. Sure, the sport had its superstars, but none have done what Caitlin Clark has brought to the game.

Never before has one single woman’s basketball player changed the dynamics of the sport to the extent that the league has turned a profit in two years despite facing losses in the 26 years before.

International basketball governing body FIBA understands her impact and has signed a deal with TNT Sports to broadcast its games stateside. As does Forbes, which named her the fourth most influential woman in sports, making Clark the highest‑ranked athlete on the list.

She may not have the accolades or championships, especially when compared to the rest of those in this article, but her competitive drive, on-court swagger, and a down-to-earth off-court personality that blends wit with seriousness have made her a household name.

Despite earning the lowest in terms of salary, the 24-year-old is one of the top-earning female athletes in the world. That number will only rise as she goes global with her upcoming signature shoe launch and international competition exposure.

Caitlin Clark’s impact is such that many believe she alone has started this surge in interest in women’s sports. That explains why even the who’s who of the sports and celebrity world want to associate with her.

Trinity Rodman – Washington Spirit – NWSL

When Caitlin Clark was excelling in the college basketball scene, an 18-year-old daughter of an NBA legend set an NWSL record for being the youngest player ever to be drafted. Now, she has set another record for the most expensive contract in league history.

Trinity Rodman has been blazing trails since she exploded onto the professional soccer scene, and has so far racked up an Olympic gold medal, along with a league championship, and several other individual accolades.

But more importantly, it is her history creating contract that forced the NWSL to alter its rules, just to ensure America’s best young talent did not have to go abroad to earn what she felt she deserved.

The league and her team, the Washington Spirit, would not have taken this bold step if they were unsure of being able to generate revenue to pay her $2 million a year. That is the impact the 23-year-old has had on women’s soccer.

Sure, the sport still does not pay anywhere close to what the men in the MLS get. But this signals the start of change. The value of franchises has shot up, and along with increased revenue, it could trickle down to enable women soccer players to earn more than ever before.

Trinity Rodman’s stardom has elevated her sport to a place it has never been. Her keen fashion sense, her relationship with tennis sensation Ben Shelton, and even shedding her association with her estranged father, NBA great Dennis Rodman, all have contributed to her image success.

There could come a time when she becomes the biggest soccer star in the United States, when the likes of Lionel Messi leave the men’s game. In fact, being popular stateside might not be the only ceiling for one of the game’s brightest young stars.

Coco Gauff – Tennis

America has a few good tennis players currently, but none have more accomplishments than Coco Gauff. With a French Open and a US Open singles title under her belt at age 22, the Florida native is just scratching the surface.

Sure, she has a lot to do to reach the standard set by Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek, but she is working hard to get there. They already have more Grand Slam titles under their belt, but Gauff could surprise them with further development.

However, what matters more to brands and fans alike is her reach. The 5’9” star may not have the fashion sense or PR capabilities of Sabalenka, or the always-on business mode Swiatek manages to stay in, but Gauff does a good job speaking up when and where it matters.

From asking for pay parity with logic, to connecting with younger fans, or building tennis courts for the community, Gauff is much more rooted to the current generation, and that is why she managed to earn the most amount of endorsements of any female athlete last year.

That speaks of Coco Gauff‘s power pull despite not having the accomplishments of her rivals. If the Paris Olympics torch-bearer continues to thrive and connect with fans in ways she can, it will not be a surprise if she brings back excitement to US tennis on a global scale.

Nelly Korda – Golf

Coming from a family of athletes, being the de facto No. 1 women’s golfer for a long time, Nelly Korda is without a doubt the best sporting personality in her house. Now that she is engaged to a business executive, that moniker will probably continue for a while.

The 27-year-old may have had a dip in performance in 2025, losing her No. 1 world ranking after going winless. However, she did take some time off from representing the United States to try to get her game back on track.

Playing with Caitlin Clark at The Annika was more of a PR exercise for her, as her eyes are firmly on winning back her crown as the best women’s golfer on the planet.

That determination, coupled with her under-the-radar grit and a cheeky ability to blend well into the world of fashion and luxury, is why she is hugely popular worldwide.

The Florida native has been instrumental in continuing American interest in a sport where attention has largely shifted toward the men’s game. That has been evident in her endorsement deals and the invitations she gets to compete in all the events.

If she can return to her winning ways, expect her to use this opportunity of surging interest in women’s sports to bring more fans to golf. However, with Nike releasing her signature golfing shoes, it is evident that they know interest in Nelly Korda will continue to soar.

Alysa Liu – Figure Skating

Had this article been written a month or more ago, the name Alysa Liu might not have made sense. After all, the most accomplished and popular athlete not performing on a court, field, or golf range is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Despite not having the accomplishments of the track superstar, the 20-year-old figure skater has vaulted herself into a realm that was previously unthinkable for a female athlete. Her two gold medals saw her popularity grow leaps and bounds overnight.

Sure, her decision to stick to representing the United States compared to Eileen Gu played a major part, as fans wanted to follow and talk about the always-smiling skater, whose backstory looks perfect for a biographical movie down the line.

The impact of Liu’s surge in popularity might not immediately reflect in her yearly income, but it soon will, as the California native almost has as many followers on social media as the rest of the other four on this list combined.

Endorsement brands cannot stay away from someone who is this young, already is a household name, and is grounded enough to know where to draw a line. That generally translates to influential power, and Liu might have single-handedly drawn back interest in winter sports.

Her impact has been such that even her hairstylist has amassed a lot of followers and has seen her business spike. Now, for someone who retired from the sport four years ago, Alysa Liu could become the most popular female athlete in the world if she continues to perform and win every year.

To sum up the above matter, women’s sports are growing at an unprecedented pace, and brands, fans, and the media are hustling to join the bandwagon. Other than the ones listed here, there are many others who are also helping in this growth.

From WNBA stars Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, to rising NWSL sensation Olivia Moultrie, to young tennis stars Amanda Anisimova and Ashlyn Krueger, to golf sensation Rose Zhang, and Olympic stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Suni Lee, women’s sports are essentially taking over.

They might not be big names like Caitlin Clark, Alysa Liu, Coco Gauff, Nelly Korda, or Trinity Rodman, but they will help this trend continue, where women are becoming more popular than when sports talks were mostly male-dominated.

Also Read:

• The Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Effect: WNBA Players to Share First-Ever $8 Million Windfall
• Caitlin Clark on Serena Williams and Simone Biles level after ‘moving the needle’s in WNBA debut