Last month, we hosted our Annual Salute to Women in Sports® and we are still buzzing with excitement from the extraordinary evening and events leading up to it! This year’s Salute was a magical milestone celebration as we commemorated WSF’s 50th anniversary bringing together women athletes and the girls they inspire, as well as industry leaders dedicated to working alongside us as we pave a path to equity for girls and women across the sports ecosystem.
“Salute Week” was packed full of events that provided athletes with the opportunity to build relationships while also encouraging them to keep playing, leading and inspiring. As part of our annual Athlete Leadership Connection® at Morgan Stanley’s offices, we held a convening of The Equity Project® focused on Women in Coaching, presented by National Partner TIAA, where athletes, coaches, industry leaders and advocates shared actionable steps to get more women into the coaching pipeline, and keep them there. To cap off the day, everyone came together for a live-recording of a special WSF 50th episode of the Laughter Permitted podcast with Julie Foudy featuring WSF President Scout Bassett and Past President Alana Nichols.
The glitz and glamor of Salute day began at the iconic Empire State Building where athletes enjoyed sunrise yoga while taking in remarkable views of the NYC skyline, thanks to event partner Athleta. In the afternoon, nearly 100 athletes gathered to enjoy a full-service beauty suite and professional styling services before sparkling under the bright lights of WSF’s media red carpet. From there, they headed inside Cipriani Wall Street® for the awards show which started with an exciting “time-machine” segment that placed a spotlight on WSF’s 50 years of impact throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and today.
The show continued with honoring luminaries in sports with our Salute awards, including: Visionary investors in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Kimbra and Mark Walter who took home our Billie Jean King Leadership Award; The 1999 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, whose legendary win over China changed the trajectory of women’s sports both on and off the pitch, receiving our Wilma Rudolph Courage Award; And we paid tribute to the 2024 WNBA Rookie Class with our Next Gen Award for smashing records and building on the league’s 28-year history.
It was a truly unforgettable evening that you can read more about in our Salute Journal.
Be sure to join us next year, and together let’s continue to build a future where all girls and women can play – because when they do, they lead and we all win!
