Brittney Griner has become one of the greatest and most recognized players in the WNBA. After coming out to her parents in high school, Griner was forced to live with an assistant coach for six weeks during her senior year. She would later pen a memoir in which she addresses bullying and self-acceptance, “In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court,” which was published in 2014.
Griner’s endorsement deal with Nike marked the first time the company had signed such a deal with an openly gay athlete. She continues to push boundaries on and off the court, gracefully but with pride.
Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix has made a name for herself as the only female track and field star to have six gold medals. Since running by itself is not known to be incredibly lucrative, Felix has been fortunate enough to land quite a few endorsement deals, which have earned her a hefty net worth of more than $4 million.
Felix is married to Kenneth Ferguson. The couple welcomed a daughter in 2018. In 2020, the sprinter was included in "Time" magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. The following year, the Olympian was even invited to the Met Gala for the first time!
Naomi Osaka
Interestingly enough, the half-Haitian, half-Japanese tennis star, Naomi Osaka, represents Japan even though she lives in the United States. Talk about multiculturalism! Thanks to both her friendly personality and her exceptional talent on the courts, Osaka is thought to be one of the most marketable female athletes in the world.
She has all the reasons in the world to become a total diva but she is surprisingly shy and down to earth. Osaka won the US Open in 2018, the Australian Open in 2019, and the US Open in 2020. In 2020, she was listed as the highest-paid female athlete.
Abby Wambach
Abby Wambach is certainly one of the most famous female soccer players in the world. While building her legacy on the field, she also brings home a fine salary, which is primarily from endorsements. She has been scoring goals and breaking glass ceilings since her youth and was even moved from the girls league to the boys league.
Wambach also made fans proud when she became the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year, as this was the first time in ten years that an American had won. This woman also inspires others by owning her queer identity and advocating for equality and acceptance of people of all colors of the rainbow in sports.
Lorena Ochoa
Originally from Mexico, golfer Lorena Ochoa held the number-one spot for weeks. The accomplished pro worked hard to hold onto the number one spot, though she decided to retire in 2010 so none of us will be able to watch her play live anytime soon. Well, unless you know her personally and can challenge her to a casual friendly game.
Many would have liked to see the golf champion go even further, but at age 28, Ocho decided to head off the green for good. Her accomplishments didn't end with her retirement, and in 2017 Ochoa was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.