January 4, 2018 on ESPN.com Ginny Baker was destined to be in Cooperstown. In the fictional world of the now-canceled Fox television show “Pitch,” it didn’t matter when Baker, who was played by Kylie Bunbury, retired. As the MLB’s first woman … Continue reading A year later, ‘Pitch’ and Ginny Baker’s influence lives on

January 10, 2018 on ESPN.com Jessica Platt learned to skate in a backyard ice rink her family built in a neighbor’s yard. She called it a back-rink. For as long as she can remember — so, since she was about … Continue reading CWHL’s first transgender woman finds comfort, confidence in professional hockey

November 2, 2017 on ESPN.com Joanna Jedrzejczyk climbs off her bike and wheels it through the doors of American Top Team (ATT), a mixed martial arts gym in Coconut Creek, Florida. She rides the four miles between her house and … Continue reading Undefeated and dominant, Joanna Jedrzejczyk seeks Ronda Rousey’s record and UFC’s loftiest ranks

July 11, 2017 on ESPN.com Ricki Ortiz has a decision to make. As she sits down in front of the monitor with her fight stick at DreamHack Austin in April, she has to choose whether to keep playing Chun-Li, the … Continue reading What’s in a main? Why Ricki Ortiz might have to give up on Chun-Li

December 23, 2016 on ESPN.com Her nickname is The Lioness. Fitting, given Amanda Nunes’ tenacity in the octagon, but its origin predates women’s inclusion in the UFC. It was given to her when she was the only woman at her … Continue reading Meet Amanda Nunes, the fighter who has been largely forgotten in lead-up to UFC 207

September 20, 2016 on ESPN.com Kylie Bunbury took a deep breath before stepping on set. The upcoming scene required her character to engage in a rather tense conversation with her fictional mother, Janet Baker (Chastity Dotson), and her agent, Amelia … Continue reading Becoming Ginny Baker: ‘Pitch’ actress Kylie Bunbury transforms for the role of a lifetime

May 10, 2016 on ESPN.com | Stephanie Dolson as told to Katie Barnes When the WNBA tipped off in 1997, life was quite different than it is today for LGBT Americans. Conversations about sexual identity were much more clouded by the … Continue reading Stefanie Dolson: ‘I just am who I am’

August 25, 2020 on ESPN.com TORRANCE SHIPMAN WALKS across the nearly empty gym at East Compton High School. She’s there to right a wrong. Not long ago, she discovered that her entire award-winning cheerleading career was built on lies and stolen … Continue reading ‘Bring It On’: From spirit fingers to appropriation, the cult sports film is much more than a teen rom-com

August 27, 2020 on ESPN.com THE FIRST TIME someone called me the N-word on a basketball court was in seventh grade. I remember dribbling the ball on the wing in front of the visitors bench. This girl, whose name I never … Continue reading Barnes: LeBron James and Nneka Ogwumike didn’t teach me that racism is a problem in this country

February 19, 2020 on ESPN.com Nestled among the trees in suburban Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in a building that looks like a long storage container, is a gym that serves as the home of the heavyweight champion of the world. Above a … Continue reading The nine strangest (but true!) stories about heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder