ESPYs

We are now two weeks away from the ESPY awards. (Wow. There are award shows for everything!)

Seeing as how my research has focused on gender and sports, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the female athletes that have been nominated this year. So many male athletes get recognition all year long, yet mentions of female athletes happen much more infrequently. Hence, my mentioning of them here. Good luck to all the nominees.

Best Female Athlete of the Year

Lisa Leslie: Center, Los Angeles Sparks
Leslie became the first player ever to reach 5,000 points in her WNBA career. In addition she is only the second player to be a three time WNBA MVP.

Taryne Mowatt: Pitcher, University of Arizona Softball
Mowatt pitched every inning on Arizona’s road to the NCAA softball championship. She pitched eight complete games during the championships, over six days, consisting of over 1,000 pitches.

Lorena Ochoa: Pro Golfer, LPGA #1 Ranked Player
She was named 1996’s LPGA Player of the Year, with the fourth lowest average score per round ever for the LPGA. She posted six season wins, and earned nearly $2.5 million in prize money.

Candace Parker: Forward-Center-Guard, University of Tennessee Basketball
Parker was named the women’s NCAA player of the year. She led her team to a national championship while earning an NCAA Final Four MVP for herself.

Best Team

University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball
Earned the school’s seventh championship in women’s basketball and went 34-4 on the season.

Best Championship Performance

Serena Williams: Tennis Pro
Williams entered the 2007 Australian Open unseeded and went on to defeat five players ranked in the top 20 to win the championship.

Beat Breakthrough Athlete

Morgan Pressel: Pro Golfer
At 18 years old Pressel became the youngest woman to ever win an LPGA major championship by winning the 2007 Kraft Nabisco.

Best Coach/Manager

Pat Summitt: Coach, University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball
Summitt is the all time winningest coach in all of college basketball (men’s or women’s) and led her team to a seventh NCAA title.

Beat Upset

Rutgers vs. Duke, Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament
Rutgers, seeded fourth, was a major underdog when facing number one seeded Duke. Rutgers won a hard fought game by a score of 53-52, taking themselves into the tournament’s Elite Eight.

Best International Female Athlete

Justine Henin: Tennis Pro
Henin is the number one ranked women’s tennis player in the world, having won last year’s French Open and appearing in the finals for the three other Grand Slam events.

Lorena Ochoa: Pro Golfer, LPGA #1 Ranked Player

Maria Sharapova: Tenis Pro
Sharapova was ranked number two in the world of women’s tennis, having won the 2006 U.S. Open at age 19.

Annika Sorenstam: Golf Pro
Annika is thought of as the best player ever in women’s golf. She had 16 top ten finishes in 2006 and is the first female golfer to reach 20 million in career earnings.

Best WNBA Player

Tamika Catchings: Forward, Indiana Fever
Catchings was named the 2006 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Lauren Jackson: Forward-Center, Seattle Storm
Jackson finished the 2006 season as 2nd in field goal percentages, 4th in scoring, and 5th in rebounding.

Lisa Leslie: Center, Los Angeles Sparks

Diana Taurasi: Guard, Phoenix Mercury
Taurasi finished 2006 first in scoring, 5th in assists, and 8th in 3-point shooting.

Best Golfer

Lorena Ochoa: LPGA #1 Ranked Player

Best Female Tennis Player

Justine Henin

Jelena Jankovic
Jankovic finished 2006 ranked twelfth in the world, and is currently the world #3. In addition, in 2006 she made the semi-finals of the U.S. Open and the French Open.

Maria Sharapova

Serena Williams

Best Female College Athlete

Monica Abbott: Softball, University of Tennessee
Abbott led her team to the College World Series in 2007. In addition, during that season, she broke the records for career strikeouts, wins, shutouts, and game appearances.

Kerri Hanks: Soccer, Notre Dame
Hanks is only the 11th player to score at least 20 goals and to make at least 20 assists in a single season. In addition, she is the first player since Mia Hamm to lead the NCAA Division I women’s soccer in goals and assists in the same season.

Kara Lynn Joyce: Swimming, University of Georgia
Joyce won the 50 and 100 meter races at the NCAA championships, making her the first to ever win titles in two events for four consecutive years.

Taryne Mowatt: Softball, University of Arizona

Candace Parker: Basketball, University of Tennessee

Best Female Action Sports Athlete

Jamie Anderson: pro snowboarder
Anderson won events at Winter X and the U.S. Open.

Layne Beachley: pro surfer
Beachley won her seventh pro surfing title.

Torah Bright: pro snowboarder
Bright is the World Superpipe Champion and won a gold medal at Winter X.

Sarah Burke: pro skier
Burke won events at Winter X and the U.S. Open.

Elissa Steamer: pro skateboarder
Steamer won gold at X Games 12.

Best Female Athlete with a Disability

Jessica Long: paralympic swimmer
Long has eighteen world record performances in 2006 as well as won nine gold medals at the International Paralympic Committee Swimming World Championships.

Esther Vergeer: wheelchair tennis
Vergeer finished as world champion in 2006 for the 7th consecutive year. She has won 236 straight matches.

Stephani Victor: alpine skier
Victor has fourteen World Cup victories and won gold at the Paralymic Games.

Amy Palmiero-Winters: marathon/triathlon
Palmiero-Winters holds the work record in both the marathon and the triathlon for female amputees.

Best Outdoor Athlete

Samantha Larson: mountaineer
At 18 Larson is believed to be the youngest to have climbed the “seven summits” and did so by climbing Mount Everest in May.

Best Track and Field Athlete

Allyson Felix: 200 meters
Felix set the 2006 World Athletics Final meet record in the women’s 200m.

Sanya Richards: 400 meters
Richards won the 2006 Jesse Owens award and broke the American record for the women’s 400m.

Under Armour Undeniable Award
Best Women’s Collegiate Team

University of Arizona, Softball
Won the NCAA championship after winning through the loser’s bracket. This was their second straight championship.

University of Nebraska, Volleyball
Finished the season 33-1 and won the NCAA championship.

University of North Carolina, Soccer
Finished the season 27-1 and won the NCAA championship.

Northwestern University, Lacrosse
Finished the season 22-1 and won their 3rd consecutive NCAA championship.

University of Tennessee, Basketball

University of Wisconsin, Ice Hockey
Broke or tied six NCAA single-season team records.

Hummer Like Nothing Else Award

Diana Taurasi: Guard, Phoenix Mercury